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Food-service director highlights growth, Fund 50 investments and trade-offs of universal CEP
Summary
The district's food-service director reported daily participation levels, central-kitchen investments and that the self-operated program returned a surplus used for capital purchases; she warned that districtwide adoption of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) would reduce revenues by an estimated $1.8 million annually.
Lynette Kino, director of food service, told the board Aug. 12 that the district serves more than 18,000 students and averages about 5,800 breakfasts and 10,214 lunches per school day, with an active summer feeding program that averaged about 1,100 breakfasts and 1,725 lunches per day through July.
Kino described her department as self-operated under the Green Bay Area Public School District and said Fund 50 (the food-service fund) covers revenues and expenses for the program. She said the department returned a surplus (about $700,000 reported for the prior year) and used those funds for investments such as new delivery trucks, walk-in coolers and a major piece of central-kitchen equipment (one machine cited at over $300,000) to add redundancy and improve service continuity.
On policy trade-offs, Kino said districtwide adoption of CEP — the federal Community Eligibility Provision that allows qualifying schools to serve free meals to all students — would cost the food-service fund about $1.8 million per year in lost revenue, limiting the department's ability to fund capital improvements. For that reason, she said, the district is selectively adding CEP schools and is awaiting DPI confirmation about adding an additional site this school year.
Kino highlighted innovations and student-facing improvements: retail-style secondary cafeterias, hydroponic lettuce produced by high-school programs, salad bars, vendor contracts for made-to-order options and the Nutrislice mobile app parents and school nurses use to monitor menus and meet special diets. She also described sharing tables to reduce food waste and a grant that will bring chefs into schools to develop culturally diverse menu options.
Board members praised the operational work and community connections the summer feeding program showcased. One board member said the food-service team's summer routes and partnerships demonstrated "operational excellence in action." Kino reiterated that catering or extracurricular sales are run so they do not detract from the meal program for students.
Kino asked the board for continued support of Fund 50 investments and said she and the chief financial officer will continue to monitor reimbursement rates, a la carte revenue and pricing to keep the program self-sustaining while meeting student needs.
