Food service at Indian Lake Schools is among the most efficient departments in the district, a presentation from the school’s food service supervisor showed Monday in a regular school board meeting.
Between breakfast and lunch, food service staff distribute some 219,400 total meals in a school year. For the 2018-2019 school year, students and staff were served 62,589 breakfasts, and 156,845 lunches, supervisor Susan Young said.
At the elementary school, staff set up pods each morning and serve “grab and go breakfasts” to students, who make their selections and return to their desks to eat before the school day begins. Over 300 elementary students are served in about 12 minutes, Young said.
Federal government meal reimbursements for qualifying breakfast and lunches served up by staff make up about half of the food service department’s operating budget. Reimbursements sent back to Indian Lake totaled $311,070.21, for qualifying lunches, and $102,354.18 for qualifying breakfasts during the 2018-2019 school year.
To qualify for government meal reimbursements, lunches and breakfasts must meet certain nutritional requirements for minimum thresholds of fruits, vegetables, meats and whole grains.
According to requirements set by the National School Lunch Program, student lunches must include two-and-one-half cups of fruit per day in grades K-8; and five cups in grades 9-12.
Vegetables must include at least three-and-three-fourths cups in grades K-8; and five cups in grades 9-12. Lunches must also include a minimum amount of whole grains and milk; as well as at least eight ounces of meat in grades K-5, nine ounces in grades 6-8 and 10 ounces in grades 9-12.
Required vegetable serving sizes are broken down into sub-groups such as “dark green,” “red/orange,” “beans/peas” and “starchy,” and require a minimum serving size of each.
Students are offered each of those five primary components per day, and may decline up to two parts of the meal, school board members were told. Utilizing that kind of offer and select model can take longer, but cuts down on the amount of food waste.
Nutritional standards public school student lunches have certainly become more stringent since Young took over as food service supervisor in 1997, she said, noting that it can be difficult to get students eat their fruits and vegetables.
“But when you see all those fresh vegetables lined up in the refrigerator, it really is beautiful,” she said.
About four out of 10 Indian Lake students are provided lunch at a free or reduced rate, according to discussion. A total of 635 free or reduced lunches were served in October, which makes up 41.8 percent of the student population.
A total of 260 free or reduced lunches were served at the elementary school; 214 free or reduced lunches were served at the middle school; and 161 free or reduced lunches were served at the high school.
Superintendent Rob Undwerwood spoke highly of the work entire 17-member food service department.
“I would put our food service department up against any school in the area,” he said. “They do a phenomenal job.”
As for business taken during the meeting, school board members approved:
• membership in the Ohio School Boards Association at a cost of $5,559;
• a $500 community grant from the Bellefontaine Rotary Club for the “1st Grader Laker Activity”;
• $200 donation from AM VETS Ladies Auxiliary to the middle school student fund to support student needs;
• $750 donation from Flip Flop Grove Campground to the student needs fund; and
• a $12,000 donation from the Indian Lake Athletic Boosters to the athletic department.
A re-organizational meeting was scheduled for 5 p.m., Monday, Jan. 13, with a regular board meeting to follow at 5:30 p.m.