Williston area school officials expect to be directed on what to do with a questioned school commodity meat source on Monday.

Schools in this region have joined dozens in banning or holding hamburger supplies reputed to come from a Chino, Calif. slaughterhouse after video accounts surfaced showing brutalized sick and crippled cows were being used as a food source by meat suppliers.

According to the Associated Press, school districts in California, Arizona, Hawaii, Utah, Montana, Minnesota, North Dakota, Washington and other states have stopped using ground beef from Hallmark Meat Packing Company and its associated Westland Meat Company until a federal probe is completed.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) recently released the videotape of its lengthy probe at the Hallmark Meat Packing Company in Chino showing the mistreatment of 'downed dairy cows' - those too sick or injured to walk.

HSUS also stated that the slaughter plant is the No. 2 supplier of ground beef to the National School Lunch Program. Videotapes of the Chino slaughterhouse from the Humane Society of the United States showed employees at the Chino slaughterhouse kicking, shocking, dragging and abusing "downer cows." No illnesses have been linked to consumption of the beef.

According to news accounts, North Dakota schools are now serving beef from other suppliers.

Williston Public School District 1 Food Service Director Lynelle McKenzie said the school system receives beef from USDA. Some of the product purchased by USDA came from Westland. Meat Co., but she and her staff have been directed by the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction to not use it.

"I received notice from the Department of Public Instruction not to serve the beef from Westland Meat company because of an administrative hold on that company," she explained.

McKenzie said DPI has updated her regularly on the status of the meat supply on hold, and she will receive further instruction Feb. 11.

She is still waiting word on whether the Westland meat they received comes from controversial slaughterhouse.

"We receive a variety of brands from the USDA, Westland being one of them. We have other brands we can use for now. If we need to, we will purchase from other sources," she said.

McKenzie said the meat is shipped to the school system once a month.

"The government does provide a certain dollar amount toward commodity items for school system, and beef is one of the commodity items we select," she explained.

McKenzie said if any of the beef from the Westland source had been served, it was before they knew there was a hold on the product.

"The USDA tested that beef and there was no e.coli or other harmful bacteria on it," McKenzie said.

Other area school officials confirmed there was a hold order from DPI.

"We probably got 300 to 400 pounds of ground beef in our freezer that we don't know what to do with," said Greg McNary, superintendent of New Public School District 8. "We got orders not to do anything with it."

In the meantime, they are seeking ground beef sources from other means.

"We've bought from local people who will give us a good deal," he said.

McNary said DPI simply told them which serial number of meat to quit using. He said children may have consumed some of the meat here, but he is unaware of any illness occurring because of that.

"DPI purchases it as a bulk source for us. If it means keeping kids safe, we'll buy locally in a heart beat," McNary said.

"To my knowledge, it has nothing to do with a safety issue," said David Rust, superintendent of the Tioga School District. "We were told to put it on hold, and we put it on hold. We have not fed it."

He said they have had non-hamburger items on their menu in the last week-and-a-half.

"We either had other food items, or if we need to buy some, we'll buy some," Rust said.

"We've been getting updated about Westland from DPI through its Food and Nutrition Program," said Michael O'Brien, superintendent from the Eight Mile School District in Trenton. "We will get notice on what to do with it on Feb. 11. Ours is in the freezer until they tell us what to do with it.

"They did say it is not a safety concern with the meat," he added. "We'll not do anything until they tell us what to do."

O'Brien added they've used other commodities to compensate or used other hamburger when needed.

"Our menu on the bottom said it is subject to change. Nobody is going hungry," O'Brien said.

Doug Black, superintendent at Trinity Christian School, said the school typically serves a soup lunch once a week. They do not receive any of the ground beef through the DPI. Otherwise, students bring cold lunch or use one of the microwaves to heat up items from home. Once a week, one of the sandwich businesses in town serves food there.

"We did get an e-mail," confirmed Ellie Heller, cook at St. Joseph's Elementary School in Williston. "Our serial numbers did not match with the affected meat."