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Nutrition services reports lower free-and-reduced percentage, Kid Culinary participation and new waste-monitoring data
Summary
Child nutrition director Judy reported a drop in free/reduced percentage from 67% to 64% (May data), Kid Culinary competitions and a new WasteWatch pilot that tracks meal waste by weight and estimated cost.
Judy, the district's nutrition services leader, presented the departmentreport to the Ralston Public Schools Board of Education on Aug. 25, highlighting participation, staffing changes and a new waste-measurement program.
Key takeaways
- Free and reduced lunch: Judy said district free-and-reduced percentages (May data) fell slightly from 67% in 202324 to 64% in 202425. She noted community eligibility provisions affect how rates appear at some schools, and cautioned those figures can be hard to interpret at buildings that qualify for universal meals.
- Kid Culinary and family engagement: The department held Kid Culinary competitions in February. Participation from family members and community was high; Judy said turnout for the secondary competition was smaller and she hopes to grow high-school team participation this year.
- Staffing and operations: The district hired a Sodexo manager (Joe Grama) during the year who helped stabilize kitchen operations, particularly at Mockingbird, where managers were hard to recruit. Judy said having a manager in place allowed her to run Kid Culinary and manage a contract rebid.
- WasteWatch pilot: The district implemented a WasteWatch program in 202425. Judy shared quarter-by-quarter reports showing pounds of food waste, estimated cost, and day-by-day patterns; Fridays produced the most waste. She reported the pilot produced usable data that can help refine menus and portioning.
- Local purchasing: Judy said the district is increasing local purchasing where practicalfor bread and milk and is working with a local farmer for summer produce purchases.
What board members asked
Board members asked whether free-and-reduced counts had rebounded to accurate levels after pandemic-era changes. Judy noted community eligibility at some schools reduces the incentive for families to submit individual applications and said counting under that program makes interpretation of the rate difficult.
Ending
The board thanked Judy and nutrition staff; no formal action was taken. Staff sign-up sheets and volunteer opportunities were noted for ongoing meal-service support.
