District says LunchMasters increase participation but raises kitchen and packaging challenges

Belmont‑Redwood Shores School District staff provided an update on the district’s school meals program after issuing an RFP and switching to LunchMasters as the district’s meals provider. Catherine Reese, business‑services specialist overseeing food services, said the vendor change has produced markedly higher participation across sites, including increased uptake among students eligible for free and reduced‑price meals. Reese said the district has about "around 11%" of students who qualify for free/reduced‑price benefits and that percentage has inched up over the last four years.

Reese described operational steps the district has taken to respond: an online application portal (available in more languages), state grant purchases of additional refrigerators to support refrigerated milk, and conversations with the union about extending nutrition clerk shifts to cover increased breakfast packing and reheating duties. She also said the district is exploring the feasibility of a central kitchen as part of the facilities master plan.

Trustees asked about options to move milk out of cartons into dispensers to reduce packaging waste; Reese said sink/dishwashing capacity at some sites and the need for disposable or reusable cups make dispensers infeasible without facility upgrades. Staff and the CBO noted LunchMasters now operates a larger production facility (a Hayward warehouse) and that the vendor’s scale makes some changes slower to request and implement (for example, replacing sugary cereal choices across districts). The district plans a district wellness committee meeting in early 2026 to solicit parent feedback and to continue evaluating containers and wrapping reduction with the parent sustainability group and Peninsula Food Runners for food recovery.