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Leslie McKinney outlines menu changes, allergen and safety training for North Ridgeville City Schools food service
Summary
Leslie McKinney, the district’s food-service supervisor, told the board Aug. 6 that student feedback helped expand menu offerings and that the district is increasing AllerTrain and ServSafe certifications to improve allergy and food-safety coverage; 23 of 33 staff are certified and the district aims to have at least one certified person in each kitchen.
Leslie McKinney, the supervisor of food service for North Ridgeville City Schools, gave the board an Aramark update on Aug. 6, saying student feedback drove menu changes and that the district is expanding staff training to improve allergy and food-safety coverage.
“Those are just a few pictures of my staff that I'm very fortunate to have,” McKinney said, adding that the program is USDA-compliant and that the district grew meals served by about 5% over last year after incorporating student recommendations. She listed new menu items informed by the survey, including overnight oats, fruit smoothies, and expanded salad options.
McKinney described the district’s staff-training plans: AllerTrain allergy training covering 14 allergens, cross-contact cleaning and reaction procedures, and ServSafe food-safety instruction on temperatures, cleaning and sanitizing. She reported that the district added 11 certified staff this summer and that “we’re 23 of 33 that are certified.” The district’s stated goal is to have at least one AllerTrain- or ServSafe-certified staff member in each school kitchen.
Board members asked how the remaining certifications would be completed. McKinney said certifying the last staff is an ongoing process and can be costly; she noted that the remaining uncertified positions are primarily cashiers and that the district is phasing certification as resources allow.
Why it matters: school nutrition programs affect attendance and academic performance, and documented allergen and safety training can reduce the risk of food-related incidents. The board thanked McKinney for the update and confirmed staff will continue working toward kitchen-level certification coverage.
