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District reviews Star Valley High lunch changes after shortages and long lines
Summary
Food services director Sue Helm told the Lincoln County School District No. 2 board the Star Valley High grab‑and‑go and dual hot‑line system has reduced lines but the district is still adjusting lunch counts, disposable tray use and meal preparation to avoid shortages.
Lincoln County School District No. 2 food services staff reported progress and remaining problems Thursday as the board reviewed recent public complaints about meal shortages at Star Valley High School.
The most immediate change has been a multitrack service model: a grab‑and‑go line for premade salads, wraps and sacks; an express hot line for fast items such as hamburgers and pizza; and a full hot line that serves homemade hot meals with access to the salad bar, district food services director Sue Helm said.
“The grab and go line providing students with quick premade meals such as, salads, wraps, sacks, sack lunches,” Helm said. “These meals still meet nutritional guidelines including meat, grain, fruits, vegetables, and milk components.”
Why it matters: Parents and some students had told the board in January that some students returned from seminary or were late and found no hot meals left. The district said those shortages prompted on‑site observations, temporary changes to how many hot meals are prepared and an internal survey of student choices.
What the district reported
- Helm said the grab‑and‑go option and two hot lines have “helped speed up service and encourage students to return to the cafeteria.”
- To address reported shortages, the kitchens increased daily hot meals prepared and continue to monitor student demand.
- Helm told the board she researched tray costs and “found that to replace the normal trays or like the lunch tray, it costs us, almost $10 a tray to replace them.” She said the current tray is disposable and that losing trays is expensive.
- The discussion covered potential return to reusable trays for students who stay in the cafeteria while continuing disposables for students who leave campus during lunch.
Board and administration follow‑up
Board members and administrators pressed for data on typical daily counts and wait times. Helm said daily served counts at the high school vary “from anywhere from, like, about a 33 to 253” on a given day and that the grab‑and‑go line rarely forms a long queue; the hot lines take longer because students use the salad bar.
Finance director JC Inskeep and Superintendent Rob Erickson told the board the food program is financially healthy. Erickson said increased meal production and occasional food waste are not expected to force a meal‑price increase in the near term: “The answer to that is not in the foreseeable future.” He cited USDA funding held in the program since COVID as a cushion.
Public comment and next steps
Parent Matt Colgren, who visited the cafeteria with administrators, told the board the operation was “up to par” during his visit but repeated that the underlying issue is reliably matching meals prepared to student demand and ensuring students who are late can still get a meal.
The board asked Helm and staff to continue refining lunch counts and to return with results. The board tabled a commodity processing bid for food services to the next meeting so staff can provide additional detail on procurement and meal processing options.
Ending note
Board members praised the cafeteria staff’s efforts and encouraged continued monitoring and close communication with students and parents while the district adjusts counts and tray policy.
