Student Nutrition outlines rising participation, federal rules and local farm initiatives

Kristen Rezak, director of Student Nutrition for Lakeville Public School District, told the board March 11 that the district has seen meal participation rise since Minnesota’s free school meals began and that the department is working to balance nutrition rules, kitchen capacity and variety.

Why it matters: increased free‑meal participation affects staffing, kitchen equipment needs and students’ time to eat. Rezak said the district now serves more than 8,200 free lunches per day and that tighter cafeteria windows at some grade levels have reduced students’ available eating time.

Key points from the presentation: - Regulatory and funding framework: Student Nutrition operates under USDA regulations and Minnesota Department of Education review cycles. The O2 food service fund must remain separate from the district general fund; revenue sources include USDA reimbursements, staff meal purchases and a la carte sales. - Participation and direct certification: Participation rose after Minnesota included Medicaid in direct certification; Rezak said direct certification increased eligible students in the district and that participation doubled at breakfast in the first year of Minnesota free school meals. This school year the department reported feeding over 8,200 students free lunches daily. - Lunch service constraints: Rezak said elementary students have a 20‑minute window from entering the cafeteria to clearing trays; middle school lunch periods were consolidated from six to three in recent years, increasing line pressure; high school students have about 30 minutes. The department said reduced available eating time can leave students with "only 10 minutes to eat" in some cases, which staff and board described as stressful for students. - Menu planning and cultural offerings: The district offers a daily vegetarian option at elementary levels and said it is expanding scratch‑cooked items where equipment allows. Rezak highlighted recent cultural menu items such as sambusas and chicken tikka masala and said the district will repeat popular items. The department also described its grab‑and‑go and breakfast cart strategies that boosted high school breakfast participation. - Food‑service innovations and local sourcing: the district purchased local apples through an agreement with Montgomery Orchard and received a $5,000 First Bite Farm to School grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to expand local produce purchases; Highview Elementary also received a $10,000 Dakota County grant to pilot reusable trays and silverware. - Special diets and safety: The nutrition office requires a licensed clinician's special diet statement to accommodate medical dietary needs and said it tries to mirror the regular menu with allergen‑free alternatives. Managers keep ongoing communication with school nurses and families about menu accommodations.

Board discussion highlights: - Director Amber Cameron asked about reusable or compostable serviceware; Rezak said Highview received Dakota County funding for reusables and that the district is moving away from styrofoam and toward compostable or reusable options when feasible. - Director Anderson asked whether local fund balance could be used for more local purchasing; Rezak said the department is spending down fund balance for equipment and staffing and is pursuing incremental steps to increase local purchases within procurement rules.

No formal board action on student nutrition was recorded in the transcript; the department offered tours of kitchens and invited board members to review operations.