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School nutrition director outlines meal rules, staffing challenges and participation figures
Summary
Maury County school nutrition staff told the board they serve roughly 13,000 meals daily across 22 campuses, described USDA reimbursable-meal component rules and said revenue increased to about $4.6 million as of December while expenses (notably labor) rose as well.
Maury County school nutrition staff provided a detailed overview of how the district runs its federal school-meal program, the board heard at the Jan. 20 work session.
Mr. Parkehurst, the district's school nutrition presenter, said the program serves roughly 13,000 meals per day across 22 campuses: about 4,000 breakfasts (served in roughly 30 minutes) and more than 8,000 lunches (served across a roughly two-hour window). He told the board the program's revenue as of December was about $4.6 million, up roughly $204,000 from the prior year, while expenses increased — chiefly because of higher labor and benefit costs.
Parkehurst explained federal reimbursable-meal rules: breakfast is composed of four components and students must take at least three (including a fruit or vegetable), while lunch has five components and students must select at least three with at least one fruit or vegetable to qualify for reimbursement. He described the "offer versus serve" model used in school settings and the chain of checks (servers, managers and cashiers) that help determine whether a meal counts as reimbursable.
Board members asked about signage at serving lines, how staff track whether students pick required components, and whether production records show which items (for example, eggs versus donuts) students choose. Parkehurst said production records are maintained, the state will audit December operations the week of Feb. 2, and that staff train servers and managers to prompt students to pick required items. He cautioned that changing menu composition (for example, shifting to more "scratch" cooking or changing milk offerings) requires supply-chain, equipment and staffing adjustments and, in many cases, federal authorization or waivers.
Board members also raised waste and potential repurposing of unconsumed items; Parkehurst said food safety and site conditions limit repurposing and practices vary by site. The board thanked staff for the presentation and encouraged continued data sharing to support future menu and staffing decisions.
