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District 196 outlines nutrition services awards, menu changes and operations data
Summary
Nutrition services presented its 2025-26 year in review to the District 196 board, reporting awards, farm-to-school partnerships, menu expansions, a move toward composting, and operational metrics: 27 kitchens, about 217 staff, and roughly 27,500 meals served per day on average.
District 196's nutrition services leaders told the school board on July 13 that the department expanded menus, strengthened local sourcing and recorded strong participation while navigating staffing challenges.
"We have 27 kitchens with 217 staff," Spencer Fisher, coordinator of nutrition services, said during the presentation. Fisher said last year the department served about 1,300,000 breakfasts and 3,400,000 lunches, which averages to roughly 27,500 meals per day. He highlighted program awards, including the Minnesota School Nutrition Association 'Hero Site' designation for two sites and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's Golden Drumstick Award for farm-to-school leadership.
Fisher described menu changes (six new breakfast entrees and 12 new lunch entrees), new items such as breakfast egg rolls and chicken tikka masala for the fall, and ongoing partnerships with Minnesota growers, naming Hafa Farms as a partner for fall produce. He said the department is rolling out composting at kitchens to divert food scraps from landfills and cited the state's 2025 "Whole Milk for Healthy Kids" act as the reason the district will offer 2% milk as an option.
Board members praised staff and asked how the district uses participation data to plan sourcing and menus. Fisher said meal counts and participation projections help the district coordinate with local farms and vendors and forecast quantities. For outreach, he pointed to parent volunteers at champion sites and the district's ParentSquare communication tool to increase family awareness of harvest meals and special menu days.
Fisher framed several operational choices as intentional investments: moving toward more made-from-scratch menus (which will reduce meals-per-labor-hour metrics) and increasing staffing to reduce turnover. The board expressed appreciation for staff and asked for continued updates as menu and sustainability efforts proceed.
