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District feeding 10,000 meals a day; nutrition staff warn central kitchen and cold‑storage need urgent upgrades
Summary
Child nutrition staff told trustees their program now averages about 10,000 meals a day across breakfast, lunch and afterschool snacks; staff highlighted menu improvements and flagged central‑kitchen capacity limits (storage, power, a failing freezer estimated at $500,000) that the Facilities Master Plan or a future bond could address.
SAN MATEO — The district’s child nutrition program has grown substantially in recent years and now serves roughly 5,000 lunches and 5,000 breakfasts a day, the director of nutrition services told the board Tuesday.
Fran Deost, director of child nutrition services, credited a new chef and expanded scratch‑cooking for improved participation. She said the program has introduced a wider menu—plant‑based options for students with dairy allergies, international dishes, and middle‑school‑targeted sandwiches and wraps—and is experimenting with salad bars and other ways to boost vegetable consumption.
But Deost warned the board that the central kitchen is at capacity and aging equipment is constraining further expansion. A large refrigerated/freezer unit needs major repairs or replacement; Deost gave a rough replacement estimate of about $500,000. The operation also needs more cold storage, blast chill capacity and electrical power for new equipment, she said.
"This is a big operation — about 10,000 meals a day — and our current facility is not designed for this scale of scratch cooking," Deost told trustees. "We need more storage and better flow, and we're at the limit of electrical capacity."
Trustees asked about waste tracking, enrollment impact and whether state grants or reserves could cover upgrades. District leaders said the program’s reserve is substantial, which affects grant eligibility; they also noted that the central kitchen concept is in the Facilities Master Plan and would be considered in bond or capital planning.
What’s next: Nutrition staff will continue near‑term fixes and seek board direction on linking kitchen modernization to long‑range capital planning. Deost said she may return with contract requests for culinary staffing and will provide more detail on power and equipment costs.
