Waterbury board reviews food service reorganization, dietitian role and seasoning pilot
Loading...
Summary
The board heard a proposal to reorganize food services, eliminate a deputy director position and create two new roles including a registered dietitian; the department cited about $57,000 in savings and described a low-salt seasoning packet pilot and steps toward more culturally centered menu options.
The Waterbury Board of Education heard a food service reorganization proposal that would eliminate the deputy director post and create a site coordinator supervisor and a registered dietitian, a change the department said would increase supervisory capacity and allow reinvestment in equipment and initiatives.
Nick Albini, presenting the plan, said the reorganization "would have a cost savings associated to the city and the department of approximately $57,000" that could be used for equipment and other student-focused activities. Albini said the deputy director's duties would be split between the two new positions, which would also support menu planning and recipe development.
Board members asked about several operational items: a seasoning-packet pilot recently rolled out in high schools, efforts to introduce culturally centered recipes (Albini cited a barbacoa turkey product under consideration), and whether internships or hiring opportunities exist for students in culinary programs. Albini said the seasoning packets are a McCormick-style product without salt to preserve federal meal compliance and that the high school pilot began this week; he said internships are constrained by federal certification and regulatory requirements but the district will investigate possibilities.
Albini also described implementation of salad bars at multiple schools and said the healthy food certification and exemption process ties into state and federal funding for school nutrition. He told the board last year's certification funding was "just under $200,000" and said the district expects that amount to grow with participation.
Board members encouraged exploring weekend or after-school service hours for clinical and nutrition programs and asked for follow-up details on where any savings would be allocated. No formal action was taken at the workshop beyond discussion and questions for staff.
