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Fremont County School District #25 reviews food-service changes, summer meals and new menu software
Summary
District food-service staff reported on summer meal operations, staffing realignments, a new cloud-based menu program (HealthyPro), local food purchases and ongoing budget pressure from rising food costs.
Ginny, identified in the meeting as a member of the district food-service team, reported to the board on the department’s summer operations and current priorities.
The district ran a five-week summer food program from May 27 through June 27 and served a total of 4,381 meals, Ginny said. Staff are considering a longer summer schedule next year after receiving community requests to continue service.
The presentation emphasized staffing and kitchen changes made over the summer: two cooks who had been working at Jackson School were reassigned to the Career Center and to Aspen after staffing changes; the department reports it is fully staffed with two regular substitutes. Ginny said staff “planned and prepared 5,640 servings of chili” for an upcoming district luncheon.
On technology, the district bought HealthyPro, a cloud-based menu-planning program. Ginny described HealthyPro as software that documents recipes and ingredients, produces nutrition information and simplifies administrative review; staff spent substantial summer hours entering recipes and ingredient data. The district also launched a Nutrition Services webpage with menus, QR codes for payments and a “build-a-meal” feature that displays nutrition details such as carbohydrates and calories for menu items.
The report noted local sourcing and kitchen improvements: staff purchased 600 ears of corn from Anderson’s 1890 Farms and enlisted students and staff to shuck the corn; staff repainted a serving-line wall and added LED lights at the Career Center to modernize the serving area. Ginny said the changes were intended to make service spaces more inviting for students.
Trustees and staff discussed budget pressure from rising food costs. Ginny recounted a comparison presented at the meeting: “Last year, we were able to purchase 40 pounds of hamburgers for $2.50 a case. This year, we’re paying a 180,” language she used in the report to illustrate increasing prices. Board members and staff noted the cost increases as an ongoing concern for menu planning and procurement.
The district said the food-service team is committed to its mission and thanked trustees for support. The board did not take any formal action on food service at the meeting.
