Making Food Service Viable without a la Carte Foods Healthy Eating Bright Idea (Submitted on March 18, 2004)
What did they want to do? This school district found a very successful method for eliminating a la carte foods and beverages from its school meal program. Students now get healthy, appealing school meals. The food service program has gone from a budget deficit to a budget reserve.
Who took action? Food Service Department
Where did this happen? Folsom Cordova Unified School District - school
Demographics
Suburban school district with over 17,000 students enrolled
32% of students qualify for free or reduced price meals
Why did they want to do it? Determined to steer school nutrition programs through changes necessary to promote the health of children in the district, the food service department adopted a new philosophy, adapted to cultural changes and sought to maintain nutritional integrity and fiscal viability without the sale of unhealthy a la carte foods.
Background For several years, the FCUSD Food Service Department (FSD) relied on high-fat and sugar-laden fast foods, frozen foods, snack items and vending machine contracts to feed students in the district. The department was operating in the red and failing to provide students with nutritious foods. A new food service director, Al Schieder, stepped in and made the most radical changes in the department’s history.
Prior to the changes, students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch stood in one line to receive their meal while other students could line up separately to choose among a la carte items such as burgers, fries and pizza. At Cordova High, one of the lower income high schools in the district, only 125 of the 500 students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch were eating it because it was demeaning to stand in the meal line, assumed to be for the needy.
How did they accomplish their goal? 1. The FSD eliminated junk food, soda and a la carte sales in the cafeteria.
2. A variety of fresh school meals were provided that met USDA nutrition standards, including a variety of lunch salads, lower fat pepperoni and cheese pizza, sandwiches, homemade pasta, wraps, teriyaki chicken rice bowls, sushi rolls and noodle bowls. Students have a choice of an entree, a piece of fruit, and low-fat or non-fat flavored milk for $2.50.
3. One of the older high school cafeterias was renovated to create food stations by investing in stainless steel carts with red awnings at a cost of $50,000. The Business Department gave the FSD a loan that was paid back in five years.
4. Palm-sized computerized keypads were installed where students could punch in their ID numbers and pay for their lunch. Some students prepaid for their lunch and it was deducted out of their account, while others got a free lunch anonymously.
What were their results? Cordova High School used to sell 125 entrees daily to its 1,850 students and now sells 800. Folsom High School used to sell 85 entrees to its 2,100 students and now sells 700. Point of sale locations have been increased and offer only reimbursable school meals to make sure students can eat lunch without having to wait in long lines.
Prior to the changes, the FSD was losing $200,000 annually. Currently, the FSD has a $400,000 reserve, and the annual budget has gone from $1.75 million in 1995 to $3.5 million in 2002 due to increased revenues.
What are their future plans? The school district is having on-going discussions about how to address unhealthy foods and beverages that are sold outside of the food service program.
For More Information Contact Al Schieder Folsom Cordova Unified School District 125 East Bidwell St. Folsom, CA 95630 United States (916) 355-1180
[email protected] http://www.fcusd.k12.ca.us
