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Star Valley High alters lunch service to shorten lines, weighs reusable trays
Summary
Food-services staff described a grab-and-go line, dual hot lines and new baked-from-scratch offerings; the board asked for operational metrics after reports of lunches running short.
Star Valley High School’s food-services director described operational changes intended to reduce long lines and serve more students during the single open-lunch period at the district’s February board meeting.
Food-services Director Sue Helm said the school introduced a “grab-and-go” line offering premade wraps, salads and sack lunches, along with two hot lines — an express line for fast items such as hamburgers and pizza and a second line for homestyle hot meals and a salad bar. Helm also said the kitchens now make baked goods in-house.
"It's working," Helm told trustees, describing the adjustments the high school made after staff and administrators raised concerns about students missing meals. The food-services presentation included menu photos and the explanation that the grab-and-go meals meet USDA nutrition guidelines while allowing students to leave campus quickly.
Board members pressed for operational data and for a practical approach to reusable trays. Helm said replacing the large rigid lunch trays would cost about $10 per tray if lost; she said on any given day the high school serves a fluctuating number of meals — "from about 33 to 253" on a given day — and estimated the cafeteria seats about 200. The director said the grab-and-go line usually moves quickly, and that the school is monitoring demand to reduce instances when hot meals run out.
Trustees asked whether the district could mix disposables and reusable trays — for example, provide disposable trays for students who take lunch out of the cafeteria and reusable trays for students who stay inside. Helm said that approach is possible if students indicate their preference at serving, but that the kitchen typically pre-plates hot meals before students enter the line, which complicates last-minute tray choices.
The board tabled any procurement decision related to commodity processing until staff can provide additional background on bidding options and cost implications. District finance director JC Inskeep and Superintendent Rob Erickson both said the food-service program is in a comparatively healthy financial position because of federal COVID-era funds and careful management.
Why it matters: a single open lunch and students leaving campus make service speed and inventory forecasting critical for Star Valley High. The board asked staff to return with precise meal-count data and options for limiting tray loss before approving changes that would require capital outlay or new purchasing processes.
What’s next: staff will provide a written follow-up on commodity-processing procurement and more detailed meal-count and tray-loss estimates at the next board meeting.
