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Nutrition director: lunch participation strong at Fort Atkinson; new salad bar and local sourcing planned
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Summary
Nutrition services director Keith Van Gilder reported higher lunch participation than regional averages, described recent capital investments and menu innovations, and outlined steps to boost breakfast participation and local procurement.
Keith Van Gilder, the Fort Atkinson School District’s new director of nutrition services, told the board on April 17 that the district serves roughly a third of a million meals annually, that lunch participation is strong and that the department is focusing on consistent quality, local sourcing and modest capital improvements.
Van Gilder said lunch participation at the district is “crushing it, for lunches at 51%,” compared with an annual average of about 27% he cited as typical in other districts. He said breakfast participation is lower and reimbursable rates for breakfasts are smaller, which affects revenue.
The director outlined recent capital work: ovens were purchased for two kitchens and the high‑school kitchen received new flooring and a new dishwasher, which he said cost about $100,000. He said those investments were driven in part by guidance from the Department of Public Instruction on allowable spend‑downs of COVID-era balances.
Van Gilder described menu and operational changes intended to boost participation and efficiency. Staff are emphasizing “scratch cooking,” updated entrées such as birria tacos and burger bowls, and a new high‑school salad bar to provide reimbursable meal options. When the high school schedule reduced lunch from three services to two, the nutrition team added a fourth “grab and go” line outside the cafeteria to reduce pressure on main lines; he said the staff now serve the high school in about 12 minutes, twice a day.
He highlighted staffing stability, cooperative purchasing that improves pricing (he cited Gordon Foods), local vendors such as Warmbelly Farms and Fork Farms, and a catering program that provides modest alternate revenue. Van Gilder also paid tribute to “Miss Candy,” a longtime employee who recently died, and read a short poem honoring her service.
Board members asked follow‑up questions about the high‑school lunch line changes, catering revenue accounting and whether snacks are available during the school day. Van Gilder said catering revenue is included in the nutrition program totals, that major capital investments produced recent deficits in the fund but were one‑time purchases, and that snacks are not generally available except for medically necessary cases.
The board welcomed the department’s plans to return the salad bar to the high school and to continue exploring local procurement and incremental menu changes to meet student preferences.
