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Independent review finds SFUSD meal participation low; recommends supervisors, breakfast-in-class and pilot cooking options
Summary
A Prismatic Services assessment paid for by the San Francisco Food Bank found SFUSD breakfast and lunch participation below benchmarks, high food waste at elementary levels, and a 16% program loss in 2010-11. Recommendations include hiring area supervisors, piloting breakfast-in-the-classroom, adding second-choice lunch options, and exploring regional or central kitchens.
A consultant team from Prismatic Services presented a district-funded diagnostic of Student Nutrition Services (SNS) at the May 15 board meeting, telling board members and the public that SFUSD's meal program is underperforming relative to peers and that operational changes could increase participation and financial sustainability.
Prismatic reported SFUSD finished 2010-11 with 61% of students eligible for free- or reduced-price meals but did not reach expected participation levels; the firm's benchmarks show SFUSD participation falls short across several categories. Observers found a meaningful gap between reported participation and actual consumption: at one site, consumption trailed participation by 12 percentage points, and survey results suggested as many as 53% of elementary students discard half or more of the meal they take.
Prismatic proposed 45 recommendations, highlighting four priorities: (1) hire a sufficient number of area supervisors (the firm recommended seven) to tighten on-site management and training; (2) implement breakfast-in-the-classroom pilots in the superintendent's zone; (3) offer a second-choice entrée at the elementary level so students have a real option; and (4) manage for success through operational changes rather than immediately pursuing an expensive central kitchen.
Tasha Prieto, lead consultant, said the single most important near-term step is improved supervision: "The single most important thing you can do to improve the program tomorrow is to hire more area supervisors immediately." Ed Wilkins, the director of Student Nutrition Services, told the board the department has already added two area supervisors and plans to expand monitoring, training and pilot programs; he described grant-funded expansions of grab-and-go breakfast at high schools and planned grants for middle schools.
Community members, the district's Food and Fitness advisory committee and public-health staff supported the recommendations and urged the board to adopt a long-term plan. Department of Public Health Director of Food Systems Paula Jones acknowledged the program's progress but stressed cost and logistics remain challenging in San Francisco's high-cost environment.
Board members asked staff to return with cost estimates for hiring additional area supervisors (staff estimated fully loaded costs at roughly $80,000 to $100,000 per supervisor), analyses of pilot approaches, and a feasibility study comparing regional/collaborative kitchens versus in-house or incremental cooking restoration. Commissioners also asked for timelines and a strategic plan to implement the highest-priority, low-cost recommendations before the next school year.
The Prismatic report and the district's response together established a set of actionable next steps: tighten operations (area supervisors), pilot proven menu and service changes (breakfast-in-classroom, second-choice lunch), and conduct a feasibility study for a longer-term facilities solution.
