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District 25 reports 394,000 meals served in 2024'25 as food service reinvests in equipment and student engagement
Summary
Director Sandy Voss told the board the district served 394,000 meals this school year, has increased participation after the pandemic, and is investing fund balance in combi ovens, new transport equipment and classroom hydroponic "FlexFarm" systems to support menu quality and student engagement.
Arlington Heights School District 25's food and nutrition department served about 394,000 meals in the 2024'25 school year and plans to reinvest fund-balance dollars into kitchen equipment and delivery vehicles, director Sandy Voss told the board on June 10.
Voss, who identified herself as the district's director of food service and a registered dietitian, said the department is focused on equipment upgrades that preserve product quality, noting new combi ovens and upgraded transport containers that allow food to be cooked and held safely until service in elementary buildings that lack full production kitchens. The district also has purchased new delivery vehicles to reduce handling and maintain temperature, she said.
Participation and financial trends: the department reported a 13% increase in total meals served compared with the prior school year (394,000 meals this year versus a peak of 404,000 meals in the pandemic year 2021'22 when all students had free meals). Meals served daily rose roughly 27% compared with the 2022'23 school year. Voss said about 86% of district students participated in the lunch program at some point during the year. The food-service team has 36 staff members; more than half live in the community.
Voss said the department operates in'house rather than contracting out, which allows revenue to be reinvested directly into the meal program. She described student engagement practices used to shape menus: purchase-data analysis, periodic student surveys and student taste testing. The department also partners with teachers on classroom hydroponic FlexFarm units, funded with help from ABC 25, to give students hands'on experience with fresh produce that can be incorporated into menus or classroom activities.
Board members praised the department's work, asked about the possibility of a parent survey to inform menus and accepted an invitation to tour production kitchens and participate in taste testing later in the summer.
Voss said the department will continue its reinvestment plan for equipment and provide updates to the board on purchases and program results.
