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Norwood school nutrition reports strong participation and a projected $468,000 operating surplus
Summary
The district's school nutrition director reported rising meal counts and an expected end-of-year surplus of roughly $468,000; committee members pressed for food-waste data and a plan to reduce discarded edible food.
Jason Morency presented the quarterly school nutrition update and said the program is growing, with forecasted daily meal counts near 621 and a projected end-of-year operating surplus of about $468,000. Morency credited menu development and student engagement for higher participation and said rebates and program revenue helped the positive financial picture: "We're looking to finish the year at a nice 468,000, in profit," he told the committee.
Members pressed the nutrition team about food waste and access. A committee member asked what happens to unused food and whether the district tracks food waste; Morency said production records are used to minimize waste and that some fresh items "can be refurbished" for next-day use when safe. Another committee member requested the production-record data and urged the district to develop a plan so edible food is distributed rather than discarded. Nutrition staff agreed to provide waste-tracking data and said they are exploring sustainability options, including a potential grant for a sustainability position to study waste-reduction strategies.
Committee discussion also covered program logistics for summer meals: Morency said the district secured approvals to run a summer program at Coakley Middle School with staff in place and that any families with children 18 and under can access meals at approved sites. Chartwells, the vendor under the year-one contract, was credited with a strong first-year partnership and financial performance.
