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Food‑service director reports 10,000‑meal increase, new dinner program serving students after school
Summary
Amanda, the district food‑service director, told the board the district is serving roughly 10,000 more meals than projected this year (about 8,000 breakfasts, 3,000 lunches) and has served more than 6,000 dinners through new after‑school partnerships; staff said increased participation and summer feeding could reduce a roughly $200,000 annual shortfall.
Amanda, the district food‑service director, told the Board of Education the district has seen notable growth in student meals this school year, serving about 10,000 more meals than projected — roughly 8,000 additional breakfasts and 3,000 additional lunches.
"We have been seeing quite a bit of growth," Amanda said, adding that Lincoln High School is averaging 450–500 breakfasts daily (she noted 530 breakfasts that morning) and about 700 lunches each day. She also said the district has "served over 6,000 dinners to date" after adding an evening meal program at partner sites including the Dewey Street Boys and Girls Club and after‑school programs at Jefferson Elementary and Washington.
The district attributed increased breakfast participation in part to a second‑chance breakfast at Lincoln High School and to menu changes and special promotions, such as offering cinnamon rolls on a weekly rotation. Amanda said staff are engaging students in menu choices and expanding a la carte and cart options to boost participation.
Board members asked whether the food‑service program remains in the red. Amanda said the program is projected to lose on the order of what has been described in the procurement materials — staff discussed figures near $200,000 annually — but that rising participation, greater a la carte sales and planned summer feeding programs would reduce that shortfall.
"By increasing participation, increasing the a la carte sales, we can kind of start getting a little bit less than that," she said, adding that summer feeding and other supplemental income could further offset losses.
The board praised the food‑service staff; members noted the link between feeding hungry students and learning readiness. The superintendent and staff said they will continue tracking participation, summer feeding plans and the program's budget effect and report back as part of routine financial updates.
