Child nutrition director: district served over 43,000 meals in June as breakfast participation rises

Child Nutrition Director reported that the district’s summer food program served more than 43,000 meals in June and highlighted increases in school breakfast participation, particularly at the high school and middle school.

The director said the district has seen an 8% increase in high school breakfast participation and notable gains at middle schools, and that Greenwood and Heritage showed across-the-board growth. “I think we’re gonna make it another year where kids get to eat for free,” the Child Nutrition Director said, characterizing the department’s near-term financial outlook.

Why it matters: The nutrition program is both a student-support service and a revenue-management function for the district. The director walked the board through how Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) reimbursement works (using the district’s direct-certification rate and a state multiplier) and explained how per-meal payments to the food-service operator are reconciled with reimbursements.

Key program details: Staff reported site-level numbers (examples given by the presenter: Cherokee Elementary roughly 30,000 breakfasts and 55,000 lunches in the year-to-date comparison; Greenwood roughly 38,000 breakfasts and 62,000 lunches) and described strategies to reach students who skip on-campus meals. The nutrition team described operational changes that include increasing service days for the Summer Food Service Program from five to seven days some weeks, splitting delivery runs to meet capacity constraints, and switching from cartons to half-gallon milk jugs to reduce leakage.

Planned service and menu changes: The presentation outlined several near-term initiatives to boost participation: mobile breakfast carts for middle and high schools (funded by an equipment grant), expanding a la carte options and ‘tiger’s den’ service at the high school, and offering library “to-go” lunches to capture students who leave campus for classes or study. Staff also discussed introducing reduced-sugar slushies and smoothies configured to meet reimbursement rules when paired with a grain.

Finances and equipment needs: The director presented a preliminary fiscal picture indicating a small positive position (about $106,000) but noted that some state reimbursements for May had not yet posted. She listed capital needs—compressors, ovens and several aging freezers from the 1980s—and said the department will seek bids and prioritize replacement where necessary.

Quotes and context: Deputy treasurer earlier in the meeting provided June fund balances (general fund of $11,180,619.70; building fund of $7,528,008.74) that frame the district’s overall fiscal capacity to absorb equipment costs. The child nutrition team emphasized volunteer support at distribution sites and invited board members and community volunteers to participate in summer feeding and training.

What’s next: Staff said they will track participation after implementing the new carts and menu items and return to the board with updated participation and reimbursement figures.