La Patrona is one of six food trucks lined up for the public event Thursday. View Full Caption Facebook/La Patrona

CHICAGO — A half-dozen food trucks will haul over to the athletic field behind Taft High School, 6530 W. Brywn Mawr Ave., to encourage parents to get to know their kids' teachers Thursday, administrators announced.

Taft's inaugural Back to School Food Truck Fest was organized as a de-facto back-to-school night geared toward parents looking for more ways to get involved in the school community, said Karen Devine, Taft's head counselor.

Administrators started looking for an "economical and fun" way for parents to "mix and mingle" with teachers after last year, when budget cuts forced an end to more traditional scheduled evening presentations at the school.

Set to run from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, the fest will be open to the public, and neighbors are encouraged to stop by for a bite, Devine said.

Teachers will wear name tags showing what grades and classes they teach, and members of the Taft Local School Council and Parent Teacher Student Association will man information tables.

The event will include trucks from J.B. Alberto's Pizza, Pork Chop BBQ, La Patrona and Windy City Ice Cream.