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South St. Paul nutrition staff say menu changes, student input and local partnerships raised meal participation
Summary
District nutrition director Dory Pavel and assistant Maggie Schmidt told the March 25 South St. Paul School Board meeting that new menu cycles, student taste-testing and local vendor partnerships have increased meal participation to roughly 43% for breakfast and about 67.5% for lunch—about a 10% rise from last year.
Dory Pavel, director of nutrition services for South St. Paul Public Schools, told the board on March 25 that the department has combined menu updates, student feedback and community partnerships to increase student participation in school meals.
"Food is what brings us all together," Pavel said, introducing staff and describing their role in daily student interactions and community events. Pavel credited state-funded universal free meals and recent menu changes for higher participation and said, "we can we know that 43% of our students across the board are eating breakfast and about 67.5% of the students are eating lunch. That's about a 10% increase over this time last year." Chair Rausch later noted the district had served about a quarter-million lunches so far this year.
Assistant Director Maggie Schmidt…
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