SAD 36 considers revamping its food service program.
LIVERMORE FALLS – It appears that major changes are in store for the food service program in SAD 36.
“We’re going through a major walk with food service personnel,” Superintendent Terry Despres told his directors Thursday night.
The dialogue is to encourage workers to give their assessment of the program and to suggest possible changes. “Their input is critical in the review process,” Despres said.
His assessment of the program has found that the meal per worker hour costs are too high, that the district has been moving into non-locally prepared foods and into pre-buying frozen and dry goods.
“We want to go back to scratch cooking and baking,” he said. To that end, he’s asked each worker to suggest a “from scratch” meal, which could be prepared with present staff and equipment.
Equipment and space are two other parts of the problem, Despres said. The prime site kitchen should not be located at the high school when more than 65 percent of the meals are served at Livermore Elementary School, which also has the highest participation rate.
Preparing meals there would require a larger, better equipped kitchen, and the school also needs a larger cafeteria which could serve 150 youngsters at a time.
Because the lunchroom is small, students now eat in five shifts with a limited time for lunch, some eating so early they really aren’t hungry and others being too hungry before their turn comes.
He would like to try for state revolving funds to expand the kitchen and cafeteria so the children could have appropriate lunches and time to eat them. He further stated that none of the facilities in the three buildings is adequate.
Despres would like to rotate the staff so they can be cross-trained and know what goes on in each building. “I’m pleased that the staff is jumping forward with creativity.”
He admitted that change is not easy, that it’s a process, not an event. He stressed, “What’s in the past is past, we’re starting new, looking for what we can do best for our students.”
Members of the Food Services Subcommittee will be visiting area schools that have innovative and or successful lunch programs.
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