Local schools are lining up supplies should “Got Milk?” turn into “Got Milk Cartons?” in the next few weeks.

Districts have been coordinating with vendors and food service providers to ensure items such as cups, lids and straws are stocked as milk cartons – iconic in school cafeterias in their half-pint sizes – are becoming more scarce across the country.

The problem is not a shortage of milk itself, but the cardboard cartons used to package and serve it, according to dairy industry suppliers and state officials.

Brittnay Spry, assistant superintendent for finance and operations at Jamestown Public Schools, said the nationwide milk carton shortage has not yet impacted the district. She said JPS does have some supplies on hand should milk need to be served differently.

On average, Jamestown serves about 4,000 cartons of milk to students every day for breakfast and lunch. The district is supplied by Upstate Milk.

Other school districts, like Falconer, contract for its food services.

“Ironically, we’ve been really fortunate that we are still getting cartons this week,” David Cervi, president of Personal Touch Food Service Inc., said on Friday. “We do expect that at some point, maybe beginning early next week, that our milk company is going to say we have no cartons.”

Once that happens, Cervi said, gallon and half-gallon containers will be provided to schools that contract with Personal Touch. From there, milk can be served in cups or from larger bowls that students can get themselves.

At Falconer, Personal Touch already has cups, lids and straws ready for use.

Like Jamestown, Southwestern Central School has not yet been impacted, though that may change shortly.

“We are prepared for the milk carton shortage,” said Sandy Paden, Southwestern’s food service director. “We don’t expect it to affect us for approximately two weeks, but containers are here and waiting. Our supplier is prepared with more on hand.”

“I won’t say it will be easy, but we do have an initial method for coping with the situation and we will adjust as needed,” Paden said.

School officials in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Washington state said they were preparing for the shortage, while the U.S. Department of Agriculture acknowledged that the supply chain problem affects “multiple states.”

Pactiv Evergreen of Lake Forest, Illinois, which bills itself as “the leading manufacturer of fresh food and beverage packaging in North America” acknowledged this month that it “continues to face significantly higher than projected demand” for its milk cartons.

The carton shortage — which could also affect milk and juice served in hospitals, nursing homes and prisons — has forced officials across the country to brainstorm backup plans.

Pine Valley Central School has not yet been impacted by the shortage in milk cartons. “We were notified that it could happen, but not yet,” said James Przepasniak, interim superintendent.

The district has ordered disposable cups and covers in the event milk has to be served from half-gallon and gallon containers. “There is no shortage of milk products, just the containers,” Przepasniak said.

The issue has garnered national attention, as U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer recently sent a letter to urge for action from the USDA.

“Milk is an essential part of our students’ school lunches and the lifeblood of our Upstate NY agricultural economy,” Schumer said, “but with a national milk carton shortage looming over our schools, now is the time for the USDA to step up to ensure our farmers get more support to continue their essential work.”

Schumer noted that Upstate Niagara Cooperative, an industry supplier of half-pint milk carton packaging, “is experiencing operational challenges that are negatively impacting their ability to supply schools with milk packaging orders.”

A handful of north county schools have begun to adapt, with Gowanda Central Schools among the first in the area to publicly acknowledge the shortage.

Dr. Robert Anderson, Gowanda superintendent said, “It’s obviously spilling into schools in our area and across the country.”

Because of the potential shortage, Anderson said Gowanda has transitioned to purchasing milk in gallon jugs.

“We have a plan in place right now to make sure kids get beverages in the morning that are appropriate,” he said. “Students are getting the nutrition with their meals that they need each day.”

Nikki Dispense, director of health-related services, said the Dunkirk City School District has a plan in place in which milk will be poured and sealed with lids to be served to students. Dunkirk’s food service provider has supplied the district with cups and lids in case they are needed.

“Hopefully it doesn’t come to that,” Dispense said.

Fredonia and Silver Creek also are preparing for the shortage.

Braden Carmen and the Associated Press contributed to this story.