Ashton Grossman, a ninth grader at Moniteau High School, walks past a warming tray that is generally filled with pizza, but because of shortages in the supply chain the district is running low on some food and general supplies.

Carrie Plecher, director of food and nutrition services at Moniteau School District, had already been dealing with shortages of supplies and food items in the cafeteria at Moniteau when the situation took a turn for the worse.

“Just this week, our distributor had to close the deliveries due to COVID-19 in their warehouse, and so we had to buy from other places,” she said. “It looks like they may be OK starting this weekend, and we are hoping and praying that that is the case.”

Plecher described the shortages and disruptions as “a unique situation.” It's a supply chain crisis that is affecting schools across the county, resulting in last-minute menu changes and planning headaches for school administrators.

Butler Area School District Superintendent Brian White said that the situation is “the worst he's ever remembered.”

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