PSJA child nutrition reports big gains: overtime cut, participation up after menu and delivery changes

Pedro Contreras, director of Child Nutrition, told trustees that a combination of scheduling reforms, inventory management, and student engagement boosted participation and improved the program’s fiscal picture. He said overtime costs fell from more than $500,000 three years ago to about $212,000 last year after reorganizing shifts and introducing a ‘PM shift’ that covered supper and later service without triggering overtime in many cases.

Contreras highlighted menu changes, classroom delivery strategies and grants (including the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program and a student engagement grant that funded Farm‑to‑School events) as drivers of participation growth—breakfast rates rose from the high‑60s to the mid‑80s and lunch rates are consistently above 80%. He reported a year‑to‑date cash position of roughly $4.7 million as of July 27 and said the department is projecting a program profit of about $2 million by the end of the fiscal year. Trustees asked how the food‑service allocation rose while enrollment declined; Contreras explained the increase was driven by higher participation and program expansion, and he said many costs were supported by grants and by starting subsequent budgets from recent program revenues.