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Aramark reports menu changes, fruit uptake and improved staffing; West side fully staffed, East side has three vacancies
Summary
Aramark presented a food service update showing increased fresh fruit and vegetable offerings, menu tweaks, promotions for March and improved staffing on the west side with three vacancies remaining on the east side of the county.
Aramark and district food service staff told the Pender County Board of Education that menu changes and promotional efforts have increased student participation in school meals and that staffing has improved districtwide, though gaps remain on the east side of the county.
The update described menu changes such as display plates at service lines to show meal options, returning popular items (for example, beef and chicken tacos and mozzarella stuffed cheese sticks) and adding fresh fruit like red seedless grapes, diced cantaloupe and pineapple chunks. Amanda Burnett of Aramark said the district completed the first five‑week cycle of a revamped menu and is starting the second round with tweaks based on early participation.
The vendor highlighted several promotional days planned for March, including a whole‑grain Rice Crispy day, National Cereal Day and a limited‑time Cajun biscuit and gravy. The service also restored a pizza oven in at least one school; a Pender High representative confirmed students are now being served pizza made from the oven.
On staffing, Aramark said the west side of the county is fully staffed and the district has "drastically closed the gap" on the east side; staff reported three active vacancies on the east side and several employees in onboarding. The presenter said illness caused some short‑term absences (11 staff out on a recent day) but overall the staffing picture has improved.
Board members asked the vendor to widen social media posting to show menu offerings across the whole county; Aramark said it is expanding its posts to additional sites. The board also accepted an invitation to visit and try pizza from the pizza oven in a school cafeteria.
Why it matters
School meals are both a nutrition and participation issue: staff said offering more fresh fruit and colorful display plates has increased students' fruit selection. Staffing levels affect daily service reliability; district and vendor representatives said improved recruitment (including Facebook posts) has helped but some vacancies remain on the east side.
What was not specified
The presentation did not provide a line‑item budget for the menu changes or expected incremental cost per meal; the vendor said the commissioning of new menu items and staffing improvements is ongoing and that detailed cost breakdowns were not provided in the presentation.
Ending
Aramark and district staff said they will continue to monitor participation, tweak menus and post more widely from schools across the county. The board acknowledged the improvements and encouraged continued outreach to fill remaining vacancies.
