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Sodexo reports large jump in participation, board presses for corrective action after parent complaints
Summary
Sodexo told the Hampton County board it has increased meal participation and introduced new nutrition software, but board members and the superintendent pressed for a corrective-action plan after reports of inadequate meals at some schools.
Sodexo representatives told the Hampton County Board of Trustees on May 5 that district meal participation has risen sharply since the contract began and that the company has introduced new menu variety and USDA-compliance systems.
Paris Burton, Sodexo’s general manager for the district, said the contractor is providing ‘‘84% more meals per day’’ than before and has rolled out a new nutrition-software system designed to improve transparency and ensure USDA compliance. Burton said the company is addressing staffing shortages, ‘‘menu fatigue’’ at some sites, and site-to-site operational differences by hiring, targeted training and site-specific ordering systems.
The superintendent and several board members pressed Sodexo on how parents and staff should report substandard meals. ‘‘If a parent wants to make a complaint, generally they will go to the principal,’’ Burton said, explaining that principals then escalate issues to Sodexo and district staff. Burton also described plans for a non-congregate summer meal program and other steps to increase participation and revenue for the nutrition program.
Superintendent Dr. Sheffield said district leaders have met with Sodexo to pursue corrective actions after recent complaints and that the district and Sodexo are developing an accountability and monitoring plan. ‘‘We hear you. Your concerns are valid. It is not okay,’’ Sheffield said, adding the district expects managers and vendors to work through the end of the school year on a corrective-action plan and additional training.
Board members asked for clearer complaint channels, more differentiated manager training at specific schools, and assurances that school meals are not being exhausted at the end of service. Sodexo said it will continue weekly manager check-ins, year-round training, site-appropriate ordering systems for younger students and periodic surveys to monitor progress.
The board did not take a separate vote on the corrective-action plan at the meeting; Superintendent Sheffield said staff will continue to coordinate with Sodexo and principals and present further action to the board as needed.
