LONE TREE, Iowa (KCRG) - Budget cuts are forcing schools across Iowa to get creative when it comes to putting food on the table for their students.

Erik Isenhour is the Lone Tree School District’s food service director.

This year, he and his kitchen staff have made a big transition, they’re cutting a lot of pre packaged meals and ingredients.

“What we did is we swapped those out for more lasagna, beef stroganoff, beef tacos, just because the cost is so much cheaper,” Isenhour said.

Lone Tree expected to receive around $20,000 in federal grant money this year, but those grants got cut.

To save money, his team turned to homemade meals. A cheaper alternative but more time-consuming for Isenhour and his staff.

“I’m lucky to have a great staff. It’s a lot on my lunch ladies and they all r

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