Chris Belland, in his Sept. 25 letter, drew our attention to the non-biodegradable problems of Styrofoam presently used in the Keys.

Not too long ago, PKS [Plantation Key School] parent friends of mine brought to my attention the mountains of Styrofoam being used in the school cafeteria to serve the school breakfasts and lunches. My own children (PKS students) were also complaining to me about the Styrofoam trays and the "sporks" they were given to eat their lunches with. They came to the conclusion that maybe the quality of the food could be improved by eliminating the Styrofoam trays.

Upon checking the other schools, I quickly realized that all of our cafeterias were using it.

This is something that is blended into the school day and is generally accepted as a way of life in Monroe County schools. It is very easy to overlook. It's hard for me to believe what sort of message we send to our students about the need to protect our environment through recycling when we use Styrofoam.

Making our new schools "green" through energy efficient architectural designs is one thing, but what about getting rid of all this Styrofoam as an object lesson our kids and their parents can take to heart

Several weeks ago, I requested a School Board discussion about how to really make our schools "green" by figuring out how we can do without all that cafeteria Styrofoam. Pedro Fraga, director of Business Services, and Lisa Cherry, director of Food Services, are now working with their staff to figure out the best course to take -- possibly with a grant. With the price increase on school lunches this year, parents expect better.

On Oct. 9 at 10 a.m. at Switlik School, the School Board will be discussing the Styrofoam issue as well as how to improve the quality and quantity of the food our kids eat at school. Everyone is welcome to come and join in with our conversation.

Thanks Chris for reminding us that "going green" is not rocket science.

R. Duncan Mathewson III
Monroe County School Board