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District nutrition director reports staffing, special‑diet growth and facilities work
Summary
Maria Terry, director of nutrition services, reported on staffing hires, new equipment, an administrative review of summer programs, growth in medically necessary special‑diet meals and plans for wellness work and a Wilson kitchen upgrade.
Maria Terry, director of nutrition services for Owatonna Public School District, outlined staffing changes, program operations and wellness work during a board meeting presentation.
Terry said the district operates seven self‑operating kitchens under the USDA Child Nutrition Programs, runs the school breakfast and National School Lunch programs and participates in the summer food service program. She reported the department employs 46 people (including a newly created assistant kitchen manager at the high school), filled multiple cook/cashier vacancies, and replaced a courier vehicle used for food deliveries.
Terry said staffing and attendance have been challenges since the COVID‑19 pandemic but noted the district has completed cross‑training and introduced an all‑staff training day that included food‑safety instruction and role‑playing to improve kitchen communication. She said the district successfully completed a recent USDA administrative review of its summer food program.
Terry described equipment investments: new combi ovens at Lincoln Elementary and plans to install an on‑site washer and dryer to reduce contracted laundry costs. She said one kitchen manager planned to retire and two cook‑cashier positions remained open heading into the fall.
The presentation emphasized growth in medically necessary special‑diet accommodations. Terry said the district is providing specialist menus for 49 students (a notable increase from the 20s when she started), handling gluten‑free, dairy‑free, egg‑free, nut/peanut‑free, sesame‑free, texture‑modified and other medically required dietary plans; specialized requests must come from a medical provider and the program is intended to meet medically necessary needs within reason.
On wellness, Terry said the district has reactivated its wellness committee, is conducting the CDC School Health Index for each school and is preparing a triennial assessment required by the Minnesota Department of Education. She said the district will prioritize staff retention and morale, continue monthly kitchen‑manager meetings and consider a kitchen upgrade at Wilson Elementary.
Board members thanked Terry for the report and asked clarifying questions about open positions and the combi ovens; Terry said the district hired for several openings but still needed to fill a kitchen manager role and two cook‑cashier roles.
