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Child Nutrition supervisor: Tecumseh served 339,794 meals; district tentatively approved for CEP and plans new equipment
Summary
Anne Carter reported the district served 339,794 meals in 2023-24, described a tentative Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) enrollment for 2024-25, and outlined planned purchases of combi ovens and a high school salad bar; she also reported a $1,832.30 negative lunch balance and 3,441 courtesy meals provided.
Anne Carter, the district's Child Nutrition Supervisor, told the Tecumseh Local Board of Education on June 17 that the district served 339,794 meals in the 2023-24 school year and is moving to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for 2024-25.
"We did still serve 339,794 meals in the district," Carter said, and she explained the program's reimbursement structure and challenges caused by application- and direct-certification reporting changes. Carter said last year’s totals were about 128,000 meals higher (driven in part by CEP status) and that the district provided 3,441 courtesy meals this past year. She also reported a negative lunch charge balance of $1,832.30.
Carter outlined equipment purchases planned for 2024-25, including combi ovens (two for the high school, two for the middle school, one for Park Layne and one for Donnelsville) and a new salad-bar unit for the high school. She said several steamers in district kitchens are more than 17 years old and replacing them is a priority to maintain service quality and compliance.
On CEP eligibility, Carter said the qualifying direct-certification threshold is 25 percent under current ODE guidance. She said the district’s combined rate was "about 47" (direct Certified/Medicaid/qualifying categories) and that Medway Elementary currently sits at about 26 percent and likely will remain on free-and-reduced next year unless its qualifying count increases. Carter said some final documentation is outstanding but the district has received tentative approval.
Carter also described operational tools and training the department is adopting: PaySchools (for meal account management) and HealthyPro (a back-of-house management platform that can generate production records and facilitate mock administrative reviews for ODE). She said the ODE administrative review checklist typically arrives in September.
Board members and public commenters praised changes in menus and reduced food waste, and several staff and community members thanked the nutrition team for more fresh options and grab-and-go items.
Next steps: administration will finalize CEP paperwork for 2024-25, complete equipment purchasing and prepare for ODE administrative review.
