Mosinee food service presents new menus, breakfast push and student engagement plans

Dave, the district’s school food service representative, told the Mosinee School District Board that Chartwells has refreshed next year’s breakfast and lunch menus and is running a series of student engagement activities to boost participation.

"All of the menus next year for breakfast and lunch are all gonna be brand new," Dave said, describing menu development based on Chartwells’ popular offerings at other sites and ongoing monthly events such as Moo Boost, Fun Days, Global Eat and Discovery Kitchen.

The nut graf: the presentation framed food service work not just as meal provision but as a student-engagement strategy tied to participation and district revenue. Dave emphasized breakfast as a primary growth opportunity and described on-site experimentation intended to make it easier for students to get a meal and eat before classes.

Details: Dave described a breakfast cart at the high school that began in September and is "bringing in about 20–30 new breakfasts" by locating service nearer to students who otherwise do not walk to the main breakfast area. He also said the district is running second-chance breakfast options and sampling events (including a planned Korean-themed Global Eats event with a corporate chef), school-week celebrations (Breakfast Week, School Lunch Hero Day) and guest visits such as the Spud Mobile to teach about agriculture and recipes.

Dave said Chartwells is engaging students and staff directly: "Student engagement. I think it's real important going out to the cafeterias on a daily basis, just talking with the students, finding out what's working, what they like." He also noted visits to other districts and DPI trainings to inform local practices and packaging changes that could increase participation.

Board reaction and follow-up: trustees praised the food service staff; one board member called Dave and his crew "tremendous" and thanked them for involvement in both daily operations and planning for a new high-school kitchen. A board member suggested delivering breakfasts directly to classrooms to raise participation; Dave said grab-and-go bags are already used when students arrive late and teachers generally allow food in classrooms, and he welcomed further teacher cooperation to increase student breakfast access.

The director said the district’s administrative review auditors are scheduled to visit the high-school site in May and that documentation was submitted in advance. He closed by inviting questions and volunteers for tasting events; the board’s business manager, Rod, offered to help taste samples.

Ending: The presentation did not include a formal board action; trustees thanked staff and moved on to other agenda items.