Board hears Macchio's food-service presentation; parents raise concerns over availability, portions and snacks

Macchio's, the district's contracted food-service management company, presented a "day in the life" sampling event for board members, staff and parents and then took extended questions from the board and the public about menu availability, portioning and a la carte sales.

Patty Fradgetakis, director of operations with Macchio's, and other company staff introduced the menu setup and invited board members and parents to sample hot and cold options representing elementary, middle and high school service lines. Nutrition and operations staff from Macchio's explained that the company uses locally sourced produce when available and that procurement is seasonal. The company said it uses production records to track how much is prepared and how much is sold and that such data can be shared with the district on request.

Board members and parents raised several recurring concerns during Q&A: - Availability and freshness: Parents said salads and some healthier options are sometimes unavailable by second lunch; Macchio's said production and demand patterns can leave some items depleted later in service and offered to adjust production and labeling (e.g., a Jersey Fresh logo) to encourage uptake of locally sourced items. - Snack/a la carte sales: Parents asked who decides what snack items (cookies, ice cream) are sold; Macchio's staff said all a la carte snacks comply with federal Smart Snacks nutrition rules and that the district can limit a la carte availability by school level or by account controls. The vendor noted a la carte sales help district revenue and that any limits are a district decision. - Food safety and expired products: A parent reported a past incident of items beyond expiry date; Macchio's staff said they reviewed in-house receiving and line-check processes and that steps were taken to strengthen checks on what is placed on serving lines. - Product preparation and par-cooking: Macchio's explained that some items served in upper middle and high school are par-cooked for final on-site preparation, while elementary lines rely more on fully cooked items; the company said it is testing product changes and portioning for the next school year and invited more frequent food-advisory feedback sessions with students.

Macchio's and district staff agreed on several follow-ups: Macchio's will provide production/sales reporting on request, consider monthly food-advisory sessions by grade level, add clearer labeling for locally produced menu items, and discuss operational changes to better match midday demand. The district committee earlier reviewed a cafeteria financial analysis prompted by ongoing concerns over quality and quantity; the operations committee recommended extending the current contract through December while monitoring improvements under a newly appointed executive chef, per an earlier committee note.

Ending: Board members asked staff to return with additional data on production and sales patterns and said they would consider communications to families (monthly newsletter or updated menus by building) to set clearer expectations about daily offerings.