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Food service reports rising participation, mobile feeding during kitchen renovation and new PA Beef partnership
Summary
Food‑service staff reported higher meal participation districtwide, described a temporary mobile feeding operation after closing the high‑school kitchen, and announced a PA Beef Council partnership to expand local beef procurement and introduce new recipes next year.
Food‑service leaders told the board June 8 that district meal participation increased this year and that staff adapted operations while the high‑school kitchen was renovated.
Emily, the district’s food‑service presenter, said the district is serving about 156 more lunches and 189 more breakfasts per day than last year. She noted the high school served nearly 883 lunches a day and the middle school led breakfast participation with about 482 a day; Union Canal Elementary showed high elementary participation rates.
Because the high‑school kitchen closed April 27 for renovation, staff shifted to a mobile feeding operation: meals are prepared in the middle school and transported to the high school, with redeployed staff managing logistics. Emily said the district expects to reopen the high‑school kitchen by the first day of October and that the mobile approach has preserved meal quality and variety where possible.
Catering and local procurement: Emily highlighted growth in the district’s catering program (events serving hundreds of guests) and said the district will partner with the PA Beef Council to participate in the PA Beef to PA Schools program. Initially the district will source beef through Happy Valley Meats while seeking a Lebanon County producer; the program aims to expand local sourcing and allow preparation of new recipes at the high school next year.
Finances and pricing: staff said breakfast remains free through state and federal supports and lunch prices will remain unchanged; the food‑service operation (about $4.2 million) showed a net of $21,000 as of April 30. The board will be asked to approve the food‑service operating statement at the June 15 meeting.
Next steps: staff will present the April operating statement, updated vendor contracts and CFCO/IU bid awards as they become available.
