Food & Nutrition Services Review for Chesterfield County Public Schools
PrismaticServices.com 20460 Chartwell Center Drive, Suite 1 Cornelius, NC 28031 704-438-9929
Table of Contents
1 Review Overview and Stakeholder Input ...... 1-1 Background ...... 1-1 Methodology ...... 1-2 Stakeholder Input ...... 1-8 Participatory Data Analysis ...... 1-14
2 Findings and Recommendations ...... 2-1 Central Office Organization ...... 2-2 Cafeteria Operations ...... 2-46 Marketing ...... 2-67
Appendix A: Cafeteria Worker Survey Results Appendix B: Student Survey Results Appendix C: School Staff/Principal Survey Results Appendix D: Summer Feeding Survey Results Appendix E: Rate My Lunch Infographic Appendix F: Supervisor Site Visit Report and Food Safety Checklist Appendix G: Parent Survey Results
Review Overview and Stakeholder Input
Review Overview and Stakeholder Input
In April 2018, Chesterfield County Public Schools (CCPS) initiated a contract with Prismatic Services, Inc., to complete an assessment of the division’s Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) department. Per the Request for Proposal (RFP) that led to the contract, the purpose of the project is to “perform an evaluation of school cafeteria operations and central office organization, and to provide a marketing plan to increase participation in the school food program.”
This chapter contains these sections:
Background
Methodology
Stakeholder Input
Participatory Data Analysis Background
School food programs are complex businesses with often finicky customers. Nevertheless, the goal has always been clear. As articulated in the Child Nutrition Act of 1946, which authorized the National School Lunch Program, the goal is to “safeguard the health and well- being of the nation’s children.”1
School food programs have never had the luxury of reaching for that goal in a static environment. As noted in the seminal text Managing Child Nutrition Programs: Leadership for Excellence:
Although the need for and philosophy of the programs were established many years ago, practically everything else about the program has changed. The world is faced with rapid expansion of information and technological and social changes that will have a massive impact on the way programs are managed in the future and the customers served. (xxiii)2
Written in 1999, those words are both prescient and still true today. The Healthy, Hunger- Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) made sweeping changes in the school food service environment and ignited fierce debate. Today’s food service programs must contend with both rapid developments in customer preferences and continuing pressures from their school divisions to remain financially solvent. Student and parent expectations have increased steadily, at the same time that technological advancements have made it possible for the school food business to be increasingly sophisticated. Unlike 20 years ago, the school food business of today is characterized by rapid changes and ever-increasing improvement.
1 https://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp/history_5 2 Martin, J. and Conklin, M. (1999). Managing child nutrition programs: Leadership for excellence. Gaiterhsburg, MD: Aspen Publishers.
1-1 Methodology
The RFP included requested activities and outcomes in the three areas of central office organization, cafeteria operations, and marketing. These are shown in Exhibit 1-1.
1-2
Exhibit 1-1 - RFP Areas, Requested Activities, and Expected Outcomes
Area Activities Outcomes • Review positions, organizational structure, and use of • Recommendations to improve: technology to increase efficiency through face-to-face o central office efficiency interviews and focus groups o menus and menu cycle • Review menuing, menu cycle, and food allergy o accommodation of students’ dietary restrictions program o participation in general and by various cross-sections Central • Review current levels of participation o waste reduction efforts Office • Assess current waste reduction efforts via interviews o Breakfast in the Classroom Organization and observations o Summer Feeding • Evaluate Breakfast in the Classroom program via data • Training program for cafeteria staff to support high quality analysis, observations, teacher surveys, and interviews operations • Evaluate Summer Feeding program via data analysis • Low-cost employee incentive program and interviews (and perhaps student surveys) • Evaluate training needs • Assess operations in at least nine schools (three each • Recommendations to improve: level) via onsite observations, interviews, focus groups, o current food production program student/parent surveys, and data analysis o recipes/cooking methods Cafeteria • Review recipes o serving line presentation Operations • Research kiosks for secondary use o participation through theme days • Review existing QC elements/Develop QC program • Training program for cafeteria staff to implement recommendations • Evaluate training needs • Food Service QC program • Recommendations for secondary kiosks • Evaluate current marketing plan and marketing • CCPS school nutrition branding program efforts, including branding, signage, and aesthetics via • Student survey instruments and survey program observations and interviews • Recommendations to improve: • Assess past special marketing and promotion events o student taste test program Marketing via data analysis and interviews o student focus group and/or Student Advisory Committee Plan • Field initial student survey to gather baseline data o student only food fair • Evaluate website content and usage via observation o special marketing and promotion events and parent surveys o department website • Evaluate training needs • Customer services training program for department staff to support guest satisfaction, increased participation, and improved sales
1-3 Prismatic proposed to fulfill the awarded contract with an 11–step work plan:
1. Initiate project 2. Collect initial input 3. Collect and review current program data 4. Solicit stakeholder input 5. Complete fieldwork 6. Complete initial analyses 7. Review initial recommendations and alternatives for program improvements 8. Develop recommendations for cafeteria operations and central office 9. Develop cafeteria operations and quality training programs 10. Develop branding and marketing programs 11. Prepare report and close project
This report is provided as the conclusion of the research and recommendation phases of this project. Training and marketing assistance tasks will be completed after the submission of this report.
The contract required that onsite observations be completed before the end of the 2017-18 school year. The FNS department selected the nine pilot schools that were the focus of onsite observations. Exhibit 1-2 provides an overview of the nine. Members of the consulting team visited each of these schools at least twice in May 2018. Several were visited again in the Fall of 2018.
Exhibit 1-2 Study Pilot Schools
% Eligible for 2017-18 Average # CCPS Free/Reduced- Daily Participation w/Similar School Price Meals Breakfast Lunch Setup Chalkley Elementary 82% 65% 71% 27 Crenshaw Elementary 48% 31% 57% Gates Elementary 33% 17% 41% 3 Carver Middle 49% 13% 56% 6 Manchester Middle 47% 24% 62% Salem Middle 59% 29% 68% 1 Bird High 45% 13% 43% 4 Cosby High 10% 2% 22% 1 Meadowbrook High 61% 11% 45% 2 Source: Data from CCPS, 2018
Because one school board member suggested reviewing food service operations at a division school with an extremely low rate of free/reduced-price meal eligible students, the consulting team observed lunch at Weaver Elementary (2% FRP). In addition to the nine pilot schools, members of the consulting team reviewed summer feeding operations in 12 schools. Photos of meals students selected on the days of observation are provided in Exhibit 1-3.
1-4
Exhibit 1-3 Sample of Meals Selected by Students
Elementary Schools
Source: Prismatic
1-5 Exhibit 1-3 (continued) Sample of Meals Selected by Students
Middle Schools
Source: Prismatic
1-6
Exhibit 1-3 (continued) Sample of Meals Selected by Students
High Schools
Source: Prismatic
Concurrent with this study, CCPS undertook a facilities and equipment study that reviewed kitchen equipment. Based on the manufacturer’s lifespans and the current age of the equipment in each CCPS kitchen, the study developed a multi-year equipment replacement plan. Excluding any replacement needed for broken equipment or purchases of new types of equipment needed for new methods of food production, the plan projects a need for approximately $0.5M to $1.5M in equipment purchases each year (Exhibit 1-4).
1-7 Exhibit 1-4 Results of CCPS Facilities Study for Kitchen Equipment
$2,500,000
$2,000,000
$1,500,000
$1,000,000
$500,000 Projected Needed Replacement Outlay
$0
Source: EMG facilities and equipment study of CCPS, 2018 Stakeholder Input
Prismatic places a high premium on the gathering of stakeholder input. For that reason, input was gathered from a number of stakeholder groups, using several methods. During the onsite work, the consulting team completed interviews, focus groups, and meal observations, the results of which are included where relevant in the findings. Other methods used to gather stakeholder input are outlined here, along with the biggest takeaways from each. The full results of each data collection method are presented in the appendices.
Rate My Lunch
Rate My Lunch is a phone app tool Prismatic developed to gather daily input from students regarding their cafeteria experience and the meal they selected. Rate My Lunch offered the students in the three pilot high schools the opportunity to provide ratings in May and June 2018. Students were asked to rate five items regarding their cafeteria experience:
Ambience was good
I waited less than five minutes in the lunch line.
The cafeteria looked clean today.
The cafeteria staff was nice to me.
There was space to site in the cafeteria.
1-8
Then for each food item they selected, they were asked to provide ratings on these dimensions:
This food item had a great taste.
This food item looked good on the serving line.
This food item was served at the right temperature.
I ate all of this food item.
I will get this food item the next time it is offered.
Overall, the number of student inputs was small, so the results cannot be considered statistically significant. Nevertheless, the results do provide a few general observations:
Ambience was rated highly at all three high schools.
The wait time at Bird High School was noted as a problem on multiple days.
All schools had largely positive ratings regarding the friendliness of cafeteria staff.
Most individual food ratings were good, but none were perfect. The lowest ratings were for French fries served at one high school on one day, indicating a likely food preparation problem.
Surveys
Prismatic sought input on the current state of CCPS food and nutrition services operations from a wide breadth of division stakeholders via surveys (Exhibit 1-5). Concurrent with this study, the division fielded an online survey of parents in May 2018. In discussions with FNS leaders, it was felt that the parent responses to that survey did not include adequate input from lower income or diverse parent groups. In response, Prismatic refielded the same survey in English and Spanish to a select group of schools. For the other stakeholder groups, Prismatic developed the survey instruments fielded.
Exhibit 1-5 CCPS Stakeholder Groups Surveyed
Type of Stakeholder Group Survey Fielding Timeframe Language CCPS Cafeteria Managers Online 02MAY18 – 01JUN18 English and Workers High School Students Online 22OCT18 – 12NOV18 English Parents in four select Online and 04NOV18 – 10JAN19 English, Spanish schools Paper Parents of students in Paper JUL19 English summer feeding CCPS School Staff (principals, teachers, Online 14OCT18 – 05NOV18 English counselors, aides etc.) Source: Prismatic, 2018
1-9 All online surveys were hosted on a secure, third-party website. CCPS staff was responsible for publicizing the surveys and soliciting responses. The numbers of responses for each survey type are shown in Exhibit 1-6, based on the number of respondents to the first question in each survey. For the Spanish version of the Parent Survey, Prismatic staff provided all translations. Prismatic staff completed coding of all open-ended responses, including the English translations of Spanish responses. Aggregate results, as well as the results of coding all responses to each open- ended question, are provided in appendices.
Based on Prismatic’s experience, the response rates for all groups were better than is typical for surveys of this nature. Because of distribution methodology, the primary use for the survey responses was to provide data on broad trends among stakeholder groups. Statistical significance was not a goal for these surveys.
Exhibit 1-6 Survey Response Rates
Approximate # of Approximate # of Schools Stakeholder Group Population Respondents Response Rate Represented Cafeteria Managers and 485 386 80% 61 Workers All 13 schools High School Students ~18,4603 4,710 26% serving 9-12 grades Parents4 ~28,5705 2,208 8% 61 Parents in select schools ~1,7206 217 13% 4 Parents of students in Unknown 30 Unknown Unknown summer feeding CCPS School Staff (principals, teachers, ~6,500 1,480 23% 63 counselors, aides, etc.) Source: CCPS and Prismatic surveys, 2018
The survey respondents represented a breadth of school breakfast/lunch eaters and non-eaters (Exhibit 1-7). Stakeholders’ opinions about school food are provided in Exhibit 1-8. Stakeholders’ reasons for non-participation and top ideas for improvements are provided in Exhibits 1-9 and 1- 10.
3 Based on 2017-18 enrollment data. 4 Administered by CCPS, not Prismatic. 5 Based on 2017-18 enrollment data and assuming a family size of 2.1 children. 6 Based on 2017-18 enrollment data and assuming a family size of 2.1 children.
1-10
Exhibit 1-7 Frequency of Breakfast and Lunch Eating
How often do you eat the school breakfast?
And How often does your student eat school breakfast?
How often do you eat the school lunch?
How often does your student eat school lunch?
How often do you eat the school lunch?
Source: CCPS and Prismatic surveys, 2018
1-11 Exhibit 1-8 Stakeholders’ Opinions on School Food
Strongly Strongly Statement Agree Agree Undecided Disagree Disagree I usually like the food in the cafeteria. The cafeteria serves a good
variety of food. The cafeteria serves healthy food options.
Students The cafeteria food is too processed.
The meals served at home appear healthier than the meals at school. My cafeteria serves a nice
variety of food. My cafeteria serves nutritious food options.
The students in my school like the menu options we serve. Cafeteria Workers The meals we serve at school are healthy.
My cafeteria serves a nice variety of food.
My cafeteria
Principals serves healthy
School Staff/ School food options.
Source: Prismatic surveys, 2018
1-12
Exhibit 1-9 Stakeholders’ Reasons for Breakfast Non-Participation and Ideas for Improvement
Top reasons students say they do not eat school breakfast on most days:
I eat breakfast at home. 69% I am not hungry at the time school breakfast is offered. 23%
Parents gave these reasons for students’ low/non-breakfast participation: % Strongly Agree + % Agree Select Schools All Schools Quality of food is poor. 51% 27% My student does not care for the menu options. 62% 27% The time provided to eat is too short. 34% 28% My student eats breakfast before coming to school. 87% 74%
Parents said these were the top three things that would increase student breakfast participation: % Strongly Agree + % Agree Select Schools All Schools More Variety 39% 12% More Time to Eat 16% 12% Healthier Options 7% 13%
School-based staff ideas for improving breakfast participation: % Strongly Agree + % Agree ES MS HS More students would eat school breakfast if the serving 26% 31% 38% period was longer. More students would eat school breakfast if the doors 19% 24% 34% opened earlier. More students would eat school breakfast if students were 24% 30% 44% allowed to eat in the classroom. Buses often arrive too late for students to get school 33% 33% 60% breakfast.
School-based staff said these were the top three things that would increase student/staff breakfast participation: Healthier Options 24% More Variety 21% Extend Time for Students to Eat 17%
Source: CCPS and Prismatic surveys, 2018
1-13 Exhibit 1-10 Stakeholders’ Reasons for Lunch Non-Participation and Ideas for Improvement
Top reasons students say they do not eat school lunch on most days:
I bring healthier food from home. 48% I bring food I like from home. 78%
Parents gave these reasons for students’ low/non-participation: % Strongly Agree + % Agree Select Schools All Schools Quality of food is poor. 66% 54% My student does not care for the menu options. 80% 63% The time provided to eat is too short. 50% 61%
Students said these were the top three things that would increase their participation: More Variety 10% Need Overall Improvement 14% Improve Food Quality 9%
Parents said these were the top three things that would increase student participation: % Strongly Agree + % Agree Select Schools All Schools More Variety 19% 19% Healthier Options 4% 18% Improve Quality 34% 14%
School-based said these were the top three things that would increase student/staff participation: Make Healthier Food 29% Change Lunch Scheduling 18% More Variety 18%
Source: CCPS and Prismatic surveys, 2018 Participatory Data Analysis
Prismatic engaged the School Health Advisory Board (SHAB) in a participatory data analysis session in January 2019. Members of SHAB were provided with the results of Rate My Lunch and all the stakeholder surveys except the parent survey in selected schools, which was not ready at that time. Participants were asked to respond to two questions:
What stood out the most in the data provided?
Based on the data, what are the top one or two actionable items?
The consulting team facilitated discussion among the participants. The most common responses to each question are provided in Exhibits 1-11 and 1-12.
1-14
Exhibit 1-11 Data Items That Stood Out the Most
Number of Times SHAB Participants Made This Observation from the Data Observation High percentages in various groups that do not like the food / low 7 levels of student participation Hunger is a barrier to learning for some students 4 Need for better perceptions of healthiness of school food 4 Differences of opinions across stakeholder groups 3 Meal timing is a problem 3 differences of opinions within stakeholder groups 3 Problems in food service management (lack of staffing, running out 2 of popular foods) Positive perceptions of school food workers 2 Positive student opinions regarding food 1 School may be the place children are most likely to get food 1 Lack of responsiveness to the summer feeding survey 1 Source: Prismatic, 2018
Exhibit 1-12 Most Actionable Items Drawn from Observations
Number of Times SHAB Participants Suggested This Observation from the Data Actionable Item Change structural issues (meal timing, more hallway kiosks, allow 10 eating in classrooms, lengthen meal periods) Improve marketing / educate stakeholders on the current 8 healthiness of food Increase healthy options / offer better food options 5 Improve management (raise worker pay, provide more staff, 3 troubleshoot food item shortages) Increase / improve general marketing 1 Source: Prismatic, 2018
1-15
Findings and
Recommendations
Findings and Recommendations
This chapter provides the consulting team’s recommendations, organized into the three areas outlined in the RFP:
Central Office Organization
Cafeteria Operations
Marketing Plan
The consulting team had at least one finding and commendation/recommendation for the central office organization and cafeteria operations areas listed in the RFP, with the exception of waste reduction. The division does not currently encourage recycling or composting in its cafeterias and could implement programs to do so. Encouraging recycling is considered a best practice by the School Nutrition Association. However, the consulting team believes that a recycling program should be on a later timeline than addressing the findings in this chapter and therefore has not been included as a recommendation.
In the marketing plan area, the consulting team provided findings for this report, but acknowledges that development of an initial marketing plan is also an implied RFP requirement. That will be provided subsequent to this report. The consulting team will also be working with the FNS department to select areas for Prismatic training, in fulfillment of that RFP requirement.
In its RFP, CCPS did not request an analysis of the financial performance of the FNS department, so it was not specifically undertaken. However, the consulting team realized the need for an examination of certain financial metrics as related to specific findings. For example, when evaluating staffing, it was discovered that 34.5% of revenue was spent on labor and benefits in the 2017-18 school year, far below industry recommendations of 40-45%. Another example was the department’s fund balance, which has historically been over the 3-month maximum and therefore not in compliance with federal requirements concerning net cash resources.1
Thus, while the FNS director is to be commended for maintaining a philosophy of running a financially sound program that has not historically been dependent upon general fund assistance, the consulting team’s incidental review of the department’s finances does reveal some concerns. According to the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) training Financial Management: A Course for School Nutrition Directors, “A significant increase in funds may be an indication that the nutrition program is not spending funds for program improvement in areas such as food quality or equipment upgrades.”2
For example, the consulting team found a reluctance to purchase additional breakfast kiosks upon depletion of grant funding even though use of this serving system was perceived to increase participation. The department has not invested in training and
1 Federal regulation 7 CFR 210.14 2 https://theicn.org/icn-resources-a-z/financial-management-a-course-for-school-nutrition- directors/
2-1 equipment upgrades to implement speed scratch cooking even though this trend has become mainstream around the nation. The director has not developed a formal plan to maintain a fund balance that is within federal regulations while also investing in continuous improvement to the program. Central Office Organization
A central office serves to provide the mechanism for coordinating and integrating all activity toward the achievement of defined objectives. The organizational design of the office plays a major role in how effectively it performs and whether it is able to achieve the objectives of its operation. Typically, various activities are formed into subsystems such as:
purchasing;
financial;
human resources;
management of the free/reduced program;
training;
record keeping and report development;
marketing;
menu development and nutritional analysis; and
strategic planning.
This division of labor and specialization results in strong departmental organization. The duties of each subsystem should be assigned to just one person, if at all possible (with someone else trained as a backup). For example, all meal application processing is assigned to one person.
Central Office Organization
The FNS central office includes 20 positions, organized as shown in Exhibit 2-1. As stated on its webpage, the department’s mission is:
The Chesterfield County Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services, as a partner in education, contributes to a successful academic experience. We provide an innovative, nutritious and cost efficient program which strives to encourage a lifetime of good nutrition.
2-2 Exhibit 2-1 Current CCPS Central Office Organization Chart
Source: Created by Prismatic, November 2018
Finding 1
The reporting structure in the central office could be improved. An optimal organization would be more along functional lines and would reduce the director’s direct span of control.
As indicated in Exhibit 2-1, the director has 11 direct reports out of an office staff of 19 – the assistant director, all field supervisors, the nutritionist, operations analyst, lead accountant, and administrative assistant. The assistant director has four direct reports, the lead accountant has three, and the operations analyst has one. The director is responsible for the overall management of the entire department and is accountable for the administration of all the federal meal programs as well as the vending operation. Directly managing such a large number of staff is not an efficient use of his time and dilutes his attention to his other administrative and management responsibilities.
2-3 Another area of concern is the reporting relationship of the purchasing coordinator. The duties of the purchasing coordinator require frequent interaction with staff reporting to the lead accountant yet this position reports to the assistant director.
In interviews, numerous central office staff suggested that the field supervisors should report to the assistant director. The director indicated this change had been discussed and efforts were underway to facilitate this change. The consulting team concurs with this decision, and to augment this change, recommends the formation of two overall functional areas – operations and support services.
Recommendation
Improve the organization of the department’s central office: Revise the department organization into two functional areas – operations and support services. The consulting team recommends the revised structure shown in Exhibit 2-2.
Exhibit 2-2 Recommended FNS Central Office Organization Chart
Source: Created by Prismatic, November 2018
The support services area would be comprised of vending, technology, lead accountant, meal applications, and the administrative assistant. This reduces his direct reports from 11 to six. The operations area would include the field supervisors, nutritionist, and the employment tech. These staff would directly report to the assistant director. These
2-4 changes will result in a more equitable division of direct reports between the director and assistant director. The purchasing coordinator should report to the lead accountant.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the reorganization be effected before the end of the 2018-19 school year.
Finding 2
The department lacks a distinct purchasing area. Purchasing duties and management of the USDA foods program are divided between the assistant director, the purchasing coordinator, and others in the accounting area. The assistant director stated her duties include managing the USDA foods program, training the purchasing coordinator, and coordinating commodities, purchasing, and the menus with the nutritionist and purchasing coordinator. She started working in the department as the buyer and then was promoted to the assistant director. The purchasing coordinator was hired two years ago and this was a newly created position. She took on some of the duties relating to purchasing from the assistant director. Interviews and an analysis of position descriptions revealed the position requires frequent interaction with the assistant director, staff in the accounting area, the nutritionist, and the field supervisor over technology. The chef is also involved in some aspects of purchasing mainly in the areas of vendors and the food fair. The purchasing coordinator recently took over purchasing of small wares which was the responsibility of the field supervisor for technology. Another purchasing function performed by this field supervisor is maintaining the order screens which requires coordination with the purchasing coordinator. As a result, the purchasing functions are fragmented and has led to numerous problems and inefficiencies. Some examples, indicated by numerous staff involved, include the timing of the bid process, and decisions relating to USDA foods, the food fair, and menu making are not well coordinated, with one staff stating “it doesn’t work well.” Another example of inefficiency is the process for updating the order screens. The purchasing coordinator is made aware of items needing changes and she takes this information to the technology field supervisor who then makes the changes. In interviews, the lead accountant and the purchasing coordinator suggested the purchasing coordinator position should report to the lead accountant instead of the assistant director for better coordination. The consultant team concurs with this suggestion which coordinates with the recommended changes to the reporting structure. Spears (1991) discusses departmentalization in Foodservice Organizations: A Managerial and Systems Approach.3 She states:
3 Spears, Marian C. (1991). Foodservice Organizations: a managerial and systems approach 2nd edition. New York, New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
2-5 Departmentalization, which involves grouping activities into work units, is the most frequently used method for implementing division of labor. Although these work units can be structured in a number of ways, they all divide the work and thus establish a pattern of task and authority relationships.
Recommendation
Create a distinct purchasing functional area in the department and consolidate all related purchasing tasks to be performed by staff assigned to this area.
This change will necessitate a minimum of one additional staff person. All tasks relating to purchasing should be removed from the assistant director and technology field supervisor and assigned to this area. Purchasing staff should be reassigned to report to the lead accountant initially. After the functional area has been in operation for a full year, the department should review the reporting structure to determine if further adjustments are needed or if the position should remain under the lead accountant.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation will require one additional clerical staff member. The consulting team estimates that $45,000 per year for salaries and benefits will be needed.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the reorganization be effected before the end of the 2018-19 school year and that the additional clerical position be posted and hired over the summer of 2019.
Finding 3
Position descriptions need revision. Interviews with central office staff indicated several that included inaccurate essential job functions. An analysis of job descriptions by the consulting team also found numerous inaccuracies.
The position of the purchasing coordinator was created two years ago and has evolved with additional duties removed from other positions. The position descriptions of the assistant director and field supervisor for technology, that had included purchasing functions, do not reflect these changes.
The job description of field supervisor for production is another example of needed revisions. This position performs duties related to summer school yet the job description for this position does not indicate any duties in this area. The field supervisor chef position was created three years ago. The field supervisor for production stated that with this new position, many of her duties had been assigned to the chef yet the position description does not reflect all of these changes.
One of the duties noted on the job description of the field supervisor for special programs is to coordinate the fresh fruit and vegetable (FFV) program. This duty is performed by the chef. Another is to oversee the central and federal vending program. The field supervisor for staff development performs some of the vending duties and the assistant director performs the rest.
2-6 Two findings in this report, the creation of a distinct purchasing area, and a reorganization of the reporting structure, will also necessitate revisions to the job description of numerous positions.
In the Human Resource Management section of the ICN training module Orientation to School Nutrition Management, the importance of up to date job descriptions is emphasized.4 “School nutrition directors should review employee job descriptions annually, recommend revisions, and obtain school board and district administration approval.” In addition, the training discusses the correlation of job descriptions to performance appraisals. “Performance appraisals should be developed from job descriptions.” School nutrition directors need to objectively and accurately rate the performance of their employees. The best way to accomplish this is the performance appraisal. The standards used to judge performance must be compatible with department goals and based on job descriptions.
Recommendation
Undertake a job analysis for all positions in the central office.
Each position should be assessed for accuracy of current essential job functions and revised to include changes due to the recommendations of the consulting team. In addition, all essential job functions on current job descriptions should be evaluated as to appropriateness to the position, and amended as necessary. This analysis and revision process should be undertaken on an annual basis.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that this work begin at the end of the 2018-19 school year and be completed within the 2019-20 school year.
Finding 4
Effective communications at the central office level is lacking. There is no organized structure for meetings among functional groups for the purposes of updates, problem solving, and sharing. The department uses meetings as a reactionary tool and scheduling often prevents all affected parties from participating, resulting in staff not always being informed.
Field supervisors noted they do not have regularly scheduled meetings with their group. Their communication is more informal when they are together in the office. When there are changes or new initiatives they do not always feel they have been adequately trained. The consulting team observed a field supervisor lacked the necessary knowledge to perform a required summer program evaluation. One field supervisor stated sometimes she is asked by staff in kitchens about a program like summer school but doesn’t always
4 https://theicn.org/icn-resources-a-z/orientation-to-school-nutrition-management/
2-7 have the knowledge to answer their questions because the topic is not in their area of specialty.
Interviews with central office staff produced numerous comments regarding communication.
don’t always know all that is going on;
no organized meetings – just when a fire needs to be put out;
a lot of impromptu meetings;
meetings are reactionary;
communications not always received by all who need to know;
quick meetings held with whomever is around;
problem with staff in her kitchen yet meeting to discuss and solve held without her;
no regular set meetings – just held to deal with a crisis;
communication needs work; and
I don’t always know what is going on.
The importance of good communication in an organization the size of CCPS cannot be overstated. In Foodservice Organizations: A Managerial and Systems Approach5 Spears states:
Communication plays a major role in determining how effectively people work together and coordinate their efforts to achieve an organization’s objectives. All organizations have recognized the importance of communication and have made major expenditures to improve it.
The textbook identifies “communication as one of the linking processes in organizations that is critical to managerial effectiveness and to the effective functioning of the foodservice system.”
Recommendation
Organize a regular schedule of meetings among related groups of central office staff.
Staff involved in operations should meet on a more frequent basis. Meetings should be scheduled at a time when all will be able to attend and at a time when operations in schools do not require the attention of the field supervisors. Meetings should be chaired
5 Spears, Marian C. (1991). Foodservice Organizations: a managerial and systems approach 2nd edition. New York, New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
2-8 by the person in charge of the functional area and the director should attend as many of the meetings for field supervisors as possible.
An agenda should be developed for each meeting based on a format of providing updates, discussion of problems aimed at solutions, and each participant sharing what they are currently involved with. An internal memo system should be developed to keep all in the central office updated as to any decisions or changes taking place that will impact their position.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that regular meetings begin before the end of the 2018-19 school year.
Finding 5
Staffing at the field supervisor level is higher than recommended guidelines.
CCPS has six field supervisors for the 65 school sites, equating to 10.8 schools per field supervisor. Moreover, school assignments are not allocated equally. Four field supervisors have oversight for 13 schools, one has oversight for 10 schools, and one is in charge of 3 schools. In addition to supervising schools, each field supervisor has one specific area of responsibility which includes either marketing, staff development, production, chef, special functions, or technology.
Interviews with field supervisors noted several duties that the consulting team determined do not require the knowledge/skills/abilities required for the field supervisor position. Examples include billing for special functions, tracking employee professional standards requirements, and fitting new employees for uniforms. Field supervisors also noted they are responsible for reviewing production records and time sheets. Comments regarding this task included: takes a lot of their time, someone else could do this once trained and this task is low on their priority list. Performing tasks such as these takes time away from monitoring and supervising their assigned schools.
CCPS has assigned numerous tasks to the field supervisors that could be performed by clerical or accounting personnel. Removing these tasks would result in the field supervisors having sufficient time to monitor their school operations as well as the need for fewer field supervisors. The director should evaluate the need for a field supervisor for technology, as there is a technology functional area staffed by an operations analyst and a tech support analyst.
Pannell-Martin and Boettger discuss span of control for school food service departments in their sixth edition (2014) School Food & Nutrition Service Management.6 They state the trend today is for a broader span of control and the use of technology to increase the span of control. Exhibit 2-3 shows their recommendations for staffing at the
6 Pannell-Martin, D. & Boettger, J.A. (2014). School food & nutrition service management for the 21st century.
2-9 administrative/supervisory level. CCPS follows the guidelines of one director and one assistant director when a district has more than 21 schools. However, the recommendation of one supervisor for every 20 schools is not being followed in CCPS, where the ratio of schools to field supervisors is 10.8 or approximately half the recommended guidelines.
Exhibit 2-3 Administrative Staffing Guidelines
Number of Assistant Schools Director Director Supervisory Staff Up to 10 1 11-20 1 1 21+ 1 1 1 for every 20 schools Source: School Food & Nutrition Service Management Sixth Edition, 2014
Recommendation
Eliminate two field supervisor positions.
This action would result in a ratio of 16.25 schools per field supervisor. A desk audit of each field supervisor should be performed to identify tasks that are no longer determined to be necessary or are redundant. The remaining tasks should then be evaluated as to those that could be performed by clerical or accounting staff or assigned to another functional area such as technology. The remaining tasks appropriate to the field supervisor position should be allocated to the four positions. This downsizing will also require a reallocation of school assignments and may result in the need for an additional clerical position in the department.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation will lead to a cost savings. Based on 2017-18 general ledger data, eliminating the two positions should result in a savings of approximately $166,000 in salaries and benefits.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the two positions be eliminated at the end of the 2019-20 school year to provide adequate transition time.
Program Management
Effectiveness in student nutrition service is measured by the level of service provided to school children, student meal participation rates, nutrition education efforts, and compliance with federal, state, and local policies. Efficiency is measured by the division’s cost per meal and staff productivity performance measures. The main goal of a successful school food operation is to manage operations so that students enjoy nutritious meals every day school is in session and to do so at a minimum of breakeven cost.
2-10 Finding 6
At the department level, the use of key performance indicators (KPIs) is limited. This negatively impacts the ability of the department to assess its progress and drive continuous improvement.
Some KPIs are reported on a monthly basis from the director to his supervisor, but they do not seem to be widely reviewed within the department and used to guide management decisions. Exhibit 2-4 shows the data provided from the department for January 2018. The document from which they were pulled also included subsequent graphs of these KPIs showing some trend data at the month-to-month level.
Exhibit 2-4 KPIs Reported on by FNS
Source: CCPS, December 2018
The KPIs presented to upper management suffer from several problems:
Some are nonstandard. While unpaid student meal charges are a concern, they are not the most important operational measurement. It is unlikely that the approximately 0.2% of revenues that the unpaid student meal charges represents is substantially impacting operations.
They are not pulled to a common base for easy month-to-month comparisons (showing total meal equivalents (MEQs) for a month rather than MEQs/serving day) and they do not provide year-over-year comparisons. Bringing monthly MEQs to a standard of MEQ/serving day would allow for easier month-over- month or year-over-year comparisons.
The monthly vacancy rate provided overstates the staffing shortage problem without demonstrating the true crisis. While the 17.3% vacancy rate may be true,
2-11 on any given day, the department has a number of permanent substitutes who fill in for vacant positions. That is the purpose of having permanent substitutes. For example, if a division has 10 permanent substitutes and on a particular day there are eight cafeteria shifts unfilled due to vacant positions, illnesses, and vacations, then all empty spots have been covered and management can expect operations to be normal. The true crisis is the number of shifts that go unfilled by a substitute on a daily basis. Expecting to have a worker for a particular shift and then not having one impacts cafeteria operations and potential meal service quality. That would happen when a division has 10 permanent substitutes but more than 10 unfilled shifts.
In total, the KPIs currently tracked by the FNS department do not provide leadership with sufficient data from which to answer the questions, “Is the department improving since last month? Since last year?”
Since 2002, the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS) has worked to define, refine, and measure KPIs in myriad school district operational areas, including food services. They have identified these KPIs as critical to managing and improving a school food service program:
Breakfast Participation Rate (Overall and among Free/Reduced Students)
Lunch Participation Rate (Overall and among Free/Reduced Students)
Cost per Meal
Food Cost per Meal
Fund Balance as Percent of Revenue
Total Costs as Percent of Revenue
Food Cost as Percent of Revenue
Labor Costs as Percent of Revenue
Meals per Labor Hour (MPLH)
USDA Commodities as Percent of Total Revenue
Provision II Enrollment Rates
The ICN also promotes the use of KPIs for managing and driving improvement. Their publication Essential KPIs for School Nutrition Success7 identifies the following as the most critical aspects of an organization’s performance:
Meal Counts and Participation
o Meal Equivalents (MEQ)
7 https://theicn.org/icn-resources-a-z/essential-kpis
2-12 o Average Daily Participation (ADP) Financial and Inventory Management
o Revenues
o Expenditures
o Revenue per Meal Equivalent
o Cost per Meal Equivalent
o Coat as a Percentage of Revenue
o Break-Even Point
o Inventory Turnover Rate Productivity and Labor
o Meals per Labor Hour (MPLH)
o Staff Turnover Rate
o Absenteeism Rate Recommendation
Adopt many of the KPIs developed by the Council of the Great Schools and the ICN and report on those monthly.
Based on the current status of the CCPS FNS program, the consulting team recommends an initial focus on these 12 KPIs:
Breakfast Participation Rate (Overall and among Free/Reduced Students)
Lunch Participation Rate (Overall and among Free/Reduced Students)
MEQs per Serving Day
MPLH
Cost per Meal
Food Cost per Meal
Total Costs as Percent of Revenue
Food Cost as Percent of Revenue
Labor Costs as Percent of Revenue
Rate of Unfilled Shifts
2-13 The only recommended KPI that is not also in the CGCS and ICN lists is the last one. It is included to respond to CCPS’ current difficulties with filling vacant positions. The KPI reporting should include data for the school year to date and year-over-year comparisons. The consulting team recommends strong visual reporting, such as that shown in Exhibit 2-5.
2-14 Exhibit 2-5 Recommended KPI Reporting Format (data shown are not valid and are for illustration purposes only)
Source: Created by Prismatic, February 2019
2-15 Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the KPI report be revised and refined during the Summer of 2019 and that revised KPI reporting begin with the 2019-20 school year.
Finding 7
At the individual school level, metrics are not used on a routine basis to evaluate the program. This negatively impacts the ability of cafeteria managers to assess their own progress and drive continuous improvement.
Exhibit 2-6 provides a sample of a monthly report generated for an individual school in the division using the FUNDamentals program.
2-16 Exhibit 2-6 Excerpt from FUNDamentals Cost Analysis Report
Source: CCPS, July 2018
Even though the FUNDamentals report is generated monthly and distributed, managers clearly do not understand the information. Several cafeteria managers indicated they do nothing with the form except file it because they do not know how to use the data to make decisions for their schools. One cafeteria manager went so far as to say that the central office does “not give us all information and does not explain the data they do give us.”
Central department staff could not interpret the data on the FUNDamentals report. They were also unable to provide basic statistics vital to their position, such as average food cost.
Food service professionals need accurate data in order to make informed decisions regarding the operation of the program. Data-driven decision making involves collecting
2-17 critical operational data, analyzing the data in a meaningful way, using the data to make decisions that increase program performance, and communicating the results of those decisions to key stakeholders. KPIs allow food service professionals to utilize a numbers- oriented approach to target specific areas of emphasis, and to gauge results in an objective and measurable way.8
The ICN recommends preparing and distributing site-level performance reports in their class Financial Management: A Course for School Nutrition Directors.9 SNA’s self- assessment tool, Keys to Excellence,10 includes the following best practices and indicators:
A Statement of Revenue and Expenditures (Profit and Loss Statement) is prepared on a monthly basis for the department level and for each serving site.
School nutrition site-level Statement of Revenue and Expenditures are distributed.
School nutrition personnel at the school site level receive training on controlling costs and revenue generation.
School nutrition personnel at the school site level are encouraged to develop and implement practices to increase revenue and control costs.
One cafeteria-level report distributed by another school district is shown in Exhibit 2-7. This sample provides a variety of data, including financial and performance data, in a format that is easy to read and understand. Additional sample reports can be found in the ICN financial management class materials.
8 Buzalaka, M. (2010). Why KPIs? Using key performance indicators gives school nutrition directors a powerful management tool in a time of high fiscal stress. Food-Management.com. 45(11). 9 https://theicn.org/icn-resources-a-z/financial-management-a-course-for-school-nutrition- directors/ 10 https://schoolnutrition.org/learning-center/usda-professional-standards/keys-to-excellence/
2-18 Exhibit 2-7 Sample Cafeteria-Level Monthly Report
Source: Prismatic files, October 2011
Recommendation
Introduce relevant metrics and assess department and cafeteria performance monthly.
2-19 To evaluate the success of each school, metrics must be used. The department should start by introducing cafeteria managers to KPIs such as participation and MPLH, then add food and supply expense. Managers should be trained on:
why KPIs are used;
how they are calculated; and
how to use the data produced to make changes to their program.
To foster comparative analysis, a number of divisions/districts the consulting team has reviewed provide information to cafeteria managers on both their own cafeterias and others in the division/district.
The data should be looked at daily and communicated to other staff members. The department should commit training hours to this initiative both for central department and school staff.
Given the size of CCPS, the department should consider requesting free training from the ICN. ICN provides free training to groups of 30+ employed in an eligible agency, such as a large school division. Approximately eight weeks of lead time is required to schedule the training.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that CCPS select and request ICN training for the Summer of 2019. The development of and training on school-level monthly metrics may take as long as through the first semester of 2019-20.
Use of Technology
While some of the audit requirements for school food programs still require paper records, current technology provides those programs the ability to be much more efficient than in the past. Technology is rightfully considered a force multiplier in the effective management of food service programs.
The SNA, in its Keys to Excellence, notes a number of indicators related to the best practice of using information technology to enhance its efficiency and effectiveness (Exhibit 2-8).
2-20 Exhibit 2-8 SNA Keys to Excellence in Technology Use
Indicator Description An evaluation of available technology and information systems is conducted to C4.1.1 determine appropriate hardware and software for the school nutrition program. C4.1.2 Software and hardware integrate with the technology infrastructure of the school district. C4.1.3 An evaluation is conducted to determine the best approach to technical support (outsourcing, in-house, or vendor provided). C4.1.4 A training program for school nutrition personnel is established to ensure efficient operation and understanding of the technology and information systems. C4.1.5 Technology and information systems are used to tabulate data and to generate and submit reports. C4.1.6 Contingency plans are developed for use in the event of hardware and/or software failure. C4.1.7 New technology and information systems, such as electronic scanning systems and biometrics, are evaluated for practicality of use in the program as they become available. C4.1.8 Procedures are established for proper care and maintenance of hardware and software systems. C4.1.9 Training on appropriate technology security protocols is established and in place. Source: https://schoolnutrition.org/learning-center/usda-professional-standards/keys-to- excellence/
Finding 8
The department has fully implemented Nutrislice on its website and via large computer screens near the serving line entrances. The entertaining content on the computer screens is changed frequently.
The Nutrislice information on the website is detailed. Interested students and parents can review full nutritional information for items served in CCPS cafeterias (Exhibit 2- 9). All of the photos are of actual CCPS products, not stock photos.
2-21 Exhibit 2-9 Sample Nutrislice Content on FNS Website
Source: FNS website, February 2019
Within the schools, the department provides menu information on large screens around the entrances to serving lines in middle and high schools (Exhibit 2-10). The department’s technical support analyst also loads the screens with amusing videos to draw students’ attention and changes them weekly.
2-22 Exhibit 2-10 Sample Menu Displays in CCPS Cafeterias
Source: Prismatic, May 2018
Commendation
The FNS department is fully using the capabilities of Nutrislice in its middle and high school cafeterias.
Finding 9
A physical inventory is completed on the last day of every month. It is tedious because the manager and assistant manager must complete three different inventory forms before submission.
In observing inventory, the consulting team found it to be a cumbersome process. It is also prone to error because the information is transferred from one paper to another three different times. At the time of the onsite review, none of the nine pilot schools had tablet computers that staff could carry into the storerooms and use to input counts directly.
2-23 Recommendation
Implement tablet technology for physical inventory.
The department should make this process more efficient by giving managers a tablet with the pre-loaded inventory form to use. The tablet should also be used for other functions such as an additional point-of-sale (POS).
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation will require an investment in technology, but should result in greater efficiency and accuracy. The cost of tablets range from $600 to $1,100, depending on the options selected.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the department trial the technology in the nine pilot schools over the course of 2019-20 and then rollout to the rest of the schools in 2020-21.
Finding 10
There is no trouble ticket system used in the department, whereby cafeterias can report technology problems and the department can then track their resolution.
According to those responsible for technology in the FNS department, cafeteria staff call or email when they have a problem with any of their technology. Because this system is informal, there are no data compiled as to how often a particular kind of problem occurs or whether a particular piece of technology is especially problematic.
The cafeteria staff use Maintenance Direct to report problems with kitchen equipment, which is a product of SchoolDude. SchoolDude has a trouble ticket reporting system available for both facilities maintenance areas and technology areas.
A trouble ticket system enables staff to submit requests online and receive email updates on the status of their request. Such a system would also allow for data analysis and the tracking of recurring issues.
Recommendation
Implement a trouble ticket system.
As a first option, the FNS department should seek to be a part of the trouble ticket system in use by the division’s IT and maintenance departments.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that a trouble ticket system be implemented no later than the second semester of 2019-20.
2-24 Finding 11
The department has not kept up to date on its primary systems. At the time of the onsite work, department staff acknowledged that they were at least several versions behind the current version of Heartland. Heartland provides both the POS and back of the house technology for the department.
The FNS department has not historically purchased software updates for the Heartland system. According to one interviewee, it was not until a few recent school board complaints that the department realized how out of date their system was.
In interviews, some FNS staff believed that they historically have not been allowed to attend external training on Heartland and other technology systems due to either budget constraints or division directive. Now that the department is investigating upgrading options, three staff members attended an 18-hour Heartland user conference in April 2018.
With the version of the Heartland system in use in May 2018, the department was limited to 80 for the number of items that could be programmed into it. As a result, all fruits were keyed by cashiers under one key, while all vegetables were keyed under another single key. This programming limitation impacts menu planning, reporting, student account information, and how the POS system is used. Currently, the department cannot provide specific item purchase information to parents, such as is currently possible with up-to-date systems (Exhibit 2-11). This lack of purchase specificity makes it much more difficult for department leaders to gauge true student acceptance rates. An analysis of production records may provide clues as to whether students prefer veggie bites or potato wedges, but the current POS data indicate only that “a vegetable” was selected.
2-25 Exhibit 2-11 Sample Student-Level Cafeteria Purchase Data Available in Updated Systems
Source: Prismatic, January 2019
Recommendation
Upgrade to the latest version of Heartland or select another current product, then commit to upgrading as new versions are released.
The FNS department should move quickly in the selection and purchase of an updated nutrition technology system. Once implemented, the department should commit the time and resources to ensure that it is fully utilizing the system’s capabilities. This will require a commitment to training and revising processes as needed. The department staff responsible for technology should become active members of user support groups. Finally, the department should commit to updating their system as new releases become available.
Fiscal Impact
The exact fiscal impact of this recommendation will depend on the system selected. Department staff estimated the cost of upgrading to Mosaic (a Heartland product) would require approximately $110,000. The cost of regular training and user conference attendance would be approximately $10,000 per year
2-26 Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the FNS department move as quickly as possible on this recommendation, but that a substantial upgrade like this would best be accomplished over the summer months. The department could roll out the new system in a phased manner in the nine pilot schools during the 2019-20 school year (elementary, then middle, then high), and use the lessons learned for a division-wide upgrade in the Summer of 2020.
Finding 12
There is variety among the elementary schools as to whether students use cards in the purchase of their meals. In some schools, students as young as the second grade are inputting numbers into the pin pad successfully, but this is not the process in all schools.
Exhibit 2-12 shows the typical method by which student cards are hung on a wall within the cafeteria. Department staff noted that there is a general desire to eventually transition to all students using the pin pad, but there is no specific timeline. The daily collection and distribution of cards adds to the tasks of the cafeteria staff and is inefficient. The consulting team has found numerous school districts where all students (except PreK) input their student numbers.
Exhibit 2-12 Card Systems Currently Used in CCPS Elementary Schools
Source: Prismatic, May 2018
Recommendation
Eliminate all card systems for student meal payments.
With the technology the division already has, the elementary schools can begin eliminating meal cards and instead teach students to input their student number.
2-27 Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the department eliminate all card systems for students in second grade and up in 2019-20, then eliminate all card systems for students in Kindergarten and first grade in 2020-21.
Menuing, Menu Cycle, and Food Allergy Program
As noted by Martin and Conklin in their work, Managing Child Nutrition Programs: Leadership for Excellence:
The menu is more than a list of food items served to the customer. Successful menu planners know that the menu drives the program. The menu is the most influential factor in the success or failure of the program.11
In addition, the menu must be a living document, one that changes as students’ tastes change and as more is learned about good nutrition. Menus from the 1960s routinely included jello, while one menu from a research project in 1977 showed stewed tomatoes and a relish plate as regular entries in one school district. For those reasons, menu planning is always an ongoing process.
Finding 13
The department creates a 3-week cycle lunch menu and a 1-week cycle breakfast menu in the spring preceding the current school year. The menus are used for the entire school year with the exception of the introduction of “limited time offerings.” The menus are not reviewed during the year to evaluate participation trends and the popularity of these items with students. The POS system is not used to collect data on which specific food items are sold to students, even though the POS has that capability.
The ICN recommends the use of cycle menus as a best practice. According to the ICN:
The inclusion of cycle menus contributes to a more efficient procurement process. Cycle menus provide the opportunity to analyze menu items and determine similarities among recipes. Identifying similar menu items for different recipes can lead to a reduction of inventory and a cost savings. School nutrition staff should become familiar with the standardized recipes and learn preparation efficiencies for producing a quality product…Planning menus in advance saves time, helps avoid repetitive tasks, reduces labor, and implements cost-effective inventory management.12
However, beyond a simple, static cycle menu, the ICN recommends: “It is good practice for districts to use a cycle menu for a designated period of time. Menus created by seasons allow for the opportunity to incorporate in-season options.”
11 Martin, J. and Conklin, M. (1999). Managing child nutrition programs: Leadership for excellence. Gaiterhsburg, MD: Aspen Publishers. p. 298. 12 https://theicn.org/icn-resources-a-z/forecasting-the-procurement-of-foods/
2-28 The use of seasonal menus can introduce new food concepts by incorporating fresh ingredients and contribute to keeping the program interesting for both staff and students. Changing the menu also gives staff the opportunity to “flex their creative muscles” and try out new recipes.
The SNA, in its Keys to Excellence, notes a number of indicators related to best practices in menu planning and evaluation (Exhibit 2-13). The consulting team found that CCPS does not fully meet any of these indicators.
Exhibit 2-13 SNA Keys to Excellence in Menu Planning and Evaluation
Present Indicator Description in CCPS? The menu planning system includes, but is not limited to, Partially A1.1.1 costing, portion-planning for each age group, forecasting, Present nutrient analysis, variety, local foods, and preferences. Participation history and production records are used in Partially A1.1.4 selecting menu components. Present A menu planning team is established that may include, but Not A1.1.7 is not limited to, school nutrition staff, students, school Present wellness team members, and other school staff. Partially B1.2 Student preferences are considered when planning menus. Present Students are included in panels and/or committees used to Partially B1.2.1 select products and/or plan menus. Present Menus are designed to accommodate flavor, texture, and Partially B1.2.2 service preferences of students. Present School nutrition personnel solicit feedback from students Not B1.2.3 about meal choices. Present School nutrition personnel are trained and encouraged to Not B1.2.4 monitor plate waste. Present Students, parents, and other stakeholders are encouraged to Partially B1.2.7 provide feedback on the menu (e.g., via e-mail, suggestion Present boxes, comment cards, surveys, website, social media). Source: https://schoolnutrition.org/learning-center/usda-professional-standards/keys-to- excellence/
Recommendation
Implement a new methodology for planning menus, as well as creating and testing recipes.
Continuing with the 3-week cycle for lunch, the department should create a 3-month cycle for fall, winter, and spring menus in order to introduce seasonal foods and new recipes to staff and the school community.
To begin, the department should create a menu committee at each level that reflects the diversity of school demographics and staff skills. The committee should include 12-15 managers and assistant managers, on each level, who are committed to working with district staff for a year. The consulting team recommends creating separate elementary
2-29 and secondary committees because of the requirements and needs of the different age groups.
Beginning in the spring of the preceding school year, the department should involve the committees in:
testing of new food products and recipes;
selecting new menu items based on compliance with regulations, student preferences, capacity of equipment, staffing availability, and cost; and
evaluating and modifying menus based on participation data and staff surveys.
All cafeteria managers should also have the opportunity to submit feedback on the menus, especially on new items. Manager surveys should allow them to provide comments on acceptability of items, ease of production, and efficient use of time and equipment.
Involving students directly in the menu planning and evaluation process is also important. Beyond a food fair once a year, the department should establish new avenues for conducting taste testing with a large representative sample of students at all grade levels. Methods of achieving this could include:
soliciting interested teachers at all grade levels whose classes would be trained and serve as taste panels for an entire school year;
conducting Kids Culinary Competitions as a venue to develop new recipes for use in the school lunch program;
engaging in programs like Fuel Up To Play 60, which includes conducting taste tests; and
requesting student feedback on new items via anonymous survey.
Whatever method of student feedback is used, the department should tabulate results and distribute them to parents and the community, so that all are aware of the department’s efforts and can see students’ true preferences.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that a program be developed for implementation in the 2019-20 school year.
Finding 14
The food on the menu generally consists of food items that are “heat and serve,” pre- portioned, and easy to prepare items. It appears that above anything else the menus must be “easy” because of perceived staffing shortages.
2-30 Menus appear to be planned with using only the basic USDA required nutrition standards. Some menu choices project an unfavorable image to the community and faculty such as nachos, Bosco bread sticks, and carb-heavy breakfast items. When menus are heat and serve, entrée items can look like snack items instead of wholesome, fresh, good-for-you entrees. Items such as nachos are a snack, not lunch.
A review of production records for the week of October 22, 2018 showed that all breakfast items, with the exception of fresh fruit, juice, and milk, were pre-portioned, processed items, focusing heavily on whole grain carbohydrates. Lunch menus also contained a number of processed items such as nachos, cheese-filled breadsticks, au gratin potatoes, and macaroni and cheese. Salads and sandwiches were made “in-house” but production records showed that sales of these items were less than 10 per day; therefore, production efforts concentrated on the high-volume, heat-and-serve items.
Interviews with staff indicated that there were no “scratch” or “convenience/scratch” recipes; instead, all recipes “had to be easy” because of regular staffing shortages. Marketing initiatives for menus, such as “Meatless Mondays” in high schools were seen as halfway implemented because only cheese items were served as opposed to innovative plant-based options.
Two studies provided research results regarding production techniques. In a 2016 project commissioned by the School Meal Approaches, Resources, and Trends (SMART) Study, directors whose programs prepared more foods from scratch and increased the use of salad bars were more likely to report that student participation rose or was unchanged from 2011-12 to 2014-15. Conversely, declines in participation were seen most often by directors who purchased more commercially prepared foods. Directors reported constantly updating and expanding their menus and employing creative strategies to keep their students happy.
Another study showed that 72% of school nutrition programs still prepare over 49% of their foods from scratch, or “speed-scratch.” This was especially true for items such as spaghetti sauce, soups, breads, and desserts. Additionally, 61% of student nutrition directors reported purchasing one half or more of the produce they serve as fresh.13
Recommendation
Introduce “convenience/scratch” items to boost culinary appeal and to project an image of food quality.
The department should change from offering a majority of convenience menu items to focusing on preparing whole, minimally processed foods. These foods are typically higher in nutrient value, and are less likely to contain high levels of added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium – all goals of the National School Lunch Program. Suggestions made to the consulting team during a manager focus group included items such as chicken pot pie, lasagna, baked chicken, and homemade soups, as a potential starting point.
The department should begin using speed-scratch cooking to prepare comfort and wholesome foods. This production technique offers an ideal way to integrate USDA foods
13 Rushing, K. (2014). Exploring school nutrition professionals’ preferences of usda recipes. University of Mississippi, MS: National Food Service Management Institute.
2-31 with fresh foodstuffs to create menu options that look like “real food” to students and the school community. For example, a marinara sauce can be prepared by using this method: the “speed” part uses USDA commodity tomato sauce and the “scratch” part involves sautéing diced vegetables and spices in hot olive oil. This method uses less labor and time compared to creating 100% homemade menu items. Offering a variety of fresh vegetables, breads, meats, and cheeses where students can build their own reimbursable sandwiches, salads, or wraps in a made to order salad and sandwich bar is another way to introduce greater variety of options that look like “real food” to students and the community.
Menu changes in the direction of more convenience/scratch should be welcomed and embraced by CCPS stakeholders. Existing equipment and space is adequate for convenience/scratch cooking. There would need to be some additional training, as there would be with any new recipe using new ingredients.
The FNS department will generate enthusiasm and support for their efforts by informing their stakeholders, internal and external, of the desired goals, action steps, and timelines. Progress reports should be prepared on a regular basis and distributed to these stakeholders, perhaps through the School Health Advisory Board (SHAB). Results from the introduction of convenience/scratch items should be tabulated in areas such as effects on participation, cost savings or increases, increases in local purchases, and number of new items introduced.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the department implement this recommendation in the nine pilot schools in 2019-20. Training should take place over the Summer of 2019.
Finding 15
The department pays little attention to culinary skills, as evidenced by the simple menu and recipes. Skills such as knife skills, making a roux, and roasting vegetables are not necessary since the menu is heat and serve.
The staff uses recipes that are really more akin to instruction guides for heat and serve. The emphasis on culinary skills appears to be lacking, as evidenced by the simple menu and recipes.
Recommendation
Provide department staff with training in culinary skills.
No culinary training has been given to staff, so with new menus and recipes, it would be needed; implementation would be best in small groups, focused on manager, assistant managers, and managers in training. The department should use a train the trainer approach. Culinary concepts such as the right way to cook pasta could be introduced over time. The consulting team recommends that the department utilize the services provided
2-32 by the Chefs Move to Schools program14 to develop a training program and provide classes in culinary skills.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the department develop an initial training package in culinary skills over the Summer of 2019 and train all staff of the nine pilot schools in August 2019.
Finding 16
The chef states that she tests all recipes but there are no true scratch or convenience/scratch recipes. She seems to be responsible for creating the instructions for the food item (called recipes by the department) and personally programming the combi ovens, which is time consuming.
As outlined by Pannell-Martin and Boettger:
Menu planning is the single most important influence on the success of a program and achievement of its mission to improve student health and prepare students to learn. Unfortunately, menu planning often does not get the attention that it needs to meet the goals of feeding the greatest number of students healthy meals while staying within the financial goad of the organization. (p. 77)
Menu offerings must entice students and at the same time be nutritious, cost- effective, follow program requirements, effectively utilize labor and equipment, as well as result in a pleasant blend of color, texture, and shapes on each plate. In order to achieve these results, menu planning requires an organized approach. (p. 88)15
Given that the chef also has school supervisory responsibilities, it is important to maximize her menu planning time by eliminating ancillary duties that can be accomplished by others in the organization or through training.
Recommendation
Focus the chef’s time on menus, true recipe development, and training.
The department should find another way to program the combi ovens at each site, by reassigning the responsibility to other staff visiting sites in the summer or by distributing flash drives to all managers with the information and instructions for programming.
14 https://chefsmovetoschools.org/ 15 Pannell-Martin, D. & Boettger, J.A. (2014). School food & nutrition service management for the 21st century.
2-33 Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the department make this change immediately.
Finding 17
Little actual menu item testing is done with students.
The annual food fair has limited participation and does not gather input from a wide variety of students, given that it is held in one location on one day. The department has hosted an annual food fair for five years. In 2017, department staff reported that the food fair had over 600 students and parents attending, but the 2018 food fair was not as well- attended. Moreover, some staff indicated that they feel they more often get the input of parents on food items rather than students.
In 2017-18, department leaders noted that some secondary student focus groups were initiated, but these efforts do not seem to have been extensive. The department does not encourage or require cafeteria managers to engage in sampling with students.
As noted previously in this report, CCPS does not fully meet all seven indicators associated with the SNA best practice of considering student preferences when planning menus. Specific to this finding, CCPS does not adequately:
Include students in panels or committees to select products or plan menus (Indicator B1.2.1); or
Solicit feedback from students about meal choices (Indicator B1.2.3).
Recommendation
Test new items with students in a sampling format.
The department should develop a procedure and standardized form for cafeteria managers to use testing new menu items via a sampling format. Typically, this can be done on the line, while students are waiting to get their meal. Alternatively, in elementary schools this could be done with the entire class of a willing teacher. Samples do not need to be full-sized but should be offered to students at no charge. The cafeteria manager should then gather feedback from the students and provide that feedback to the central office via the standardized form.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that this new menu item testing format be implemented in the nine pilot schools starting in the second semester of 2019-20.
2-34 Procurement
As much as possible, a school food service program should not have to rely on general funds to maintain operations. Savvy purchasing and contracting can enhance both the financial bottom line and the quality of food served in a division’s cafeterias. As noted in Managing Child Nutrition Programs, “purchasing has a greater impact on the quality of food served to children than any other school food and nutrition management function” (p. 392).16 A school food program maintains myriad contracts with food suppliers, technology providers, staff trainers, and equipment servicers. Effective competitive bidding provides the foundation for expectations regarding food, equipment, and service quality. How the resulting contracts are structured to provide long-term efficient support of a food service program is critical.
Finding 18
New food items are reviewed randomly in January and February each year and again at the district food show. There is no specified process for evaluating food items, especially the large-dollar/high-volume items.
It seems that there is heavy division participation in evaluating products when vendors are scheduled for a meeting; thereafter, the evaluation of new products seems random (i.e. some go to schools for testing, some may not). It was stated that formal testing was started last year.
Recommendation
Implement a formal procurement process for testing, evaluating, and bidding products.
The department should establish a set time, such as Tuesdays twice a month, when products can be introduced to the nutritionist and the chef. The nutritionist and chef should screen products using information the vendor provides and a standard district form (i.e. pack size, portion cost, nutritional, etc.) and then make a recommendation to move forward (or not) with formal student and staff evaluation. It is imperative that high-volume/high-dollar items be tested, with results documented. It is also imperative that two or more approved brands be included for these items to ensure competition during the bid process.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that this change in the procurement process be implemented fully by the end of the 2019-20 school year. The newly created purchasing area should be the lead for implementation.
16 Martin, J. and Conklin, M. (1999). Managing child nutrition programs: Leadership for excellence. Gaiterhsburg, MD: Aspen Publishers. p. 392.
2-35 Participation
One of the basic measures of food service operations is student meal participation. All meals served according to federal guidelines receive some level of reimbursement, including those served to students who pay full price. School districts do not receive federal reimbursement support for adult meals.
For many students, school breakfast and lunch meals offer the best chance for appropriate nutrition each weekday. Economically disadvantaged students may have little or no other food during the day. This makes the breakfast and lunch meal programs critical to good nutrition for many students. In 2017-18, 35.4% of CCPS students qualified for free or reduced-price meals; in 2018-19, the figure was 35.9%.
Student participation rates are highly variable across the nation, depending greatly on local circumstances and management. For some recent benchmarks, the CGCS has completed an annual benchmarking study for the past several years, Managing for Results in America’s Great City Schools.17 CGCS is an organization comprised of 65 large urban school districts across the nation. Although CCPS is not a member of CGCS, the CGCS data provide a useful comparison point with other large divisions. Compared to the upper quartile participation rates reported by districts to the CGCS, CCPS participation rates in the nine pilot schools and overall have been much lower (Exhibit 2-14).
Exhibit 2-14 Meal Participation Rates in Comparison to CGCS Upper Quartile
CGCS CCPS All CCPS Upper Quartile Pilot Schools Schools Breakfast Lunch Breakfast Lunch Breakfast Lunch 2015-16 54.1% 80.4% 13% 49% 2016-17 54.0% 80.2% 12% 48% 2017-18 NA NA 19% 48% 20% 54% Source: CGCS and Prismatic calculations using CCPS data, February 2019
The SNA also collects data on average participations rates. Exhibit 2-15 compares those data to CCPS participation figures for 2017-18. As shown, the six CCPS elementary and middle pilot schools had breakfast participation rates that were a bit higher than the large districts in the SNA survey. CCPS middle pilot schools also had a slightly higher lunch participation rate. Overall and CCPS pilot school meal participation rates were lower than those reported by large districts in the SNA survey.
17 https://www.cgcs.org/domain/86
2-36 Exhibit 2-15 Meal Participation Rates in Comparison to SNA Data, 2017-18
Breakfast Lunch Elem. Middle High All Elem. Middle High All SNA: 25,000+ 37% 20% 14% 28% 63% 60% 43% 59% Enrollment CCPS Pilot Schools 40% 22% 8% 19% 58% 62% 36% 48% All CCPS Schools 20% 54% Source: SNA and Prismatic calculations using CCPS data, February 2019
Finding 19
The department lacks goals for student participation rates. Participation rates are below the HealthierUS School Challenge: Smarter Lunchrooms (HUSSC:SL) gold standards.
In interviews with department leaders, student participation rates were mentioned as one item that was regularly reviewed. However, participation data are not frequently referenced by supervisors in analyzing individual cafeteria performance. They are not strongly used to drive decision-making. The school-specific reports generated from the FUNDamentals program provides monthly participation data, but unless the cafeteria manager lays several months of these reports out together, they do not provide trend data.
The HUSSC:SL was begun in 2004 to recognize schools that have created healthier school environments through promotion of nutrition and physical activity. To achieve gold medal status with HUSSC:SL, schools need to achieve the participation rates shown in Exhibit 2-16. The consulting team recommends these participation levels as best practice standards. As shown, collectively, the pilot schools only exceeded one of these best practice standards. Disaggregating the breakfast participation data for the three elementary pilot schools, one finds that only one school, Chalkley Elementary, actually exceeded the best practice level. Its 65% breakfast participation skewed the average, as Crenshaw and Gates had only 31% and 17% participation, respectively.
Exhibit 2-16 Meal Participation Rates in Comparison to HUSSC:SL Gold Medal Standards
HUSSC Gold Pilot Schools, Level 2017-18 Breakfast Lunch Breakfast Lunch Elementary 35% 75% 40% 58% Middle 35% 75% 22% 62% High 25% 65% 8% 36% Source: HealthierUS School Challenge Criteria, 2014
The USDA published a list of best practices to increase student participation:
Provide opportunities for students to try new foods.
Attend trade shows and sample products.
2-37 Network with other food service directors and dietitians.
Cook from scratch and use batch cooking.
Obtain student feedback.
Introduce change slowly and offer variety.
Introduce students to foods using samples, fun activities, and educational methods.
Involve school administrators and teachers to promote change.
Keep parents informed.18
Recommendation
Adopt and measure progress toward HUSSC:SL gold standard student participation rates.
The consulting team recommends that the department adopt the HUSSC:SL gold standard participation rates as its goal for each school. The department should regularly assess the progress of each school in achieving this goal.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that these goals be adopted for 2019-20.
Breakfast in the Classroom
Studies show that students who eat breakfast are better able to achieve academically. However, increasing breakfast participation is not just about improved test scores and concentration. Eating breakfast can help students meet their daily nutrient needs more easily. According to a report published in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, children who regularly eat breakfast take in approximately 20 to 60 percent more iron, B vitamins, and vitamin D than children who skip breakfast. Breakfast eaters also tend to take in more daily fiber and lower total fat and dietary cholesterol. Regularly eating breakfast is also associated with a healthier body mass index, or BMI, and a decreased likelihood of obesity. Research shows that students who regularly eat breakfast have an easier time maintaining a healthy body weight than students who are regular breakfast skippers.19
Breakfast in the classroom (BIC) is a growing trend nationally. On the 2018 School Nutrition Association survey (n=1,524), a majority of districts (56.1%) are offering breakfast in some alternative service venue beyond the traditional cafeteria line, such as
18 https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/ops/HHFKA-StudentParticipation.pdf 19 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00425/full
2-38 BIC or hallway kiosks. Among districts of 25,000+ students, 76.8% offered breakfast in the traditional line and alternative service venues.
Research dating as far back as 2002 show that BIC (or some form of Breakfast After the Bell) results in the greatest participation, compared to cafeteria breakfast. As noted in a USDA national breakfast pilot, “In-classroom breakfast service is associated with the biggest jumps in participation.”20
Finding 20
Not every CCPS school offers some form of Breakfast After the Bell, which could include kiosks, delivery to the classroom, or grab-n-go from the traditional cafeteria line. This unfairly penalizes lower income students who live in more affluent areas of the school division. When asked, FNS department leaders noted that while breakfast was offered in every school it was not considered cost-effective to provide an alternative venue for breakfast beyond the traditional cafeteria line.
Some CCPS schools have quite low percentages of free and reduced-price eligible students. In some of those that do not offer an alternative breakfast venue, breakfast participation among those students is extremely low. For example, in February 2018, only 72 students at Winterpock Elementary School qualified for free/reduced meals. In 19 serving days that month, the school served only 106 breakfasts to those students, an average of 5.6 breakfasts per day. Winterpock does not allow students to enter the building before 9:10 am and classes begin at 9:25 am. With breakfast only available in the cafeteria and buses that may run late, it appears that a large percentage of students who likely would benefit from school breakfast are not receiving it.
As noted by the organization No Kid Hungry Virginia, there are a number of reasons why offering breakfast only in the cafeteria may suppress breakfast participation:
There may be a social stigma associated with going to the cafeteria before school to eat.
Bus schedules may not allow enough time for children to eat once they arrive at school.
Sometimes, the location of the cafeteria can negatively impact participation; if students are not able to make it to the cafeteria and to their first period in time, they often will not eat.
Many children, especially those in high school, simply are not hungry first thing in the morning but will want food shortly after class begins.21
For these reasons, No Kid Hungry Virginia advocates for alternative breakfast models, often collectively known as Breakfast After the Bell. This can include breakfast in the
20 McLaughlin, J.E., Bernstein, L.S., Crepinsek, M.K., Daft, L.M. &Murphy, J.M. (2002). Evaluation of the school breakfast program pilot project: findings from the first year of implementation. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. Report No. CN-02- SBP. 21 https://va.nokidhungry.org/breakfast-resources
2-39 classroom, grab and go from the cafeteria or hallway kiosks, and second chance breakfast.
The Food Research and Action Center22 has established a national goal ratio among lower income students of at least 70 eating school breakfast for every 100 who eat school lunch. As of 2017-18, only two states, West Virginia and New Mexico, had achieved the goal ratio. For 2017-18, Virginia achieved a ratio of 61.2 to 100. In the same period, only one of the nine pilot schools exceeded the Commonwealth’s figure (Exhibit 2-17).
Exhibit 2-17 Ratio of Free/Reduced-Price Breakfasts Served to Lunches, 20117-18
Breakfast Lunch Free Reduced Free Reduced FRP B:L Ratio Chalkley ES 480 50 557 55 87 to 100 Crenshaw ES 123 23 206 40 59 to 100 Gates ES 75 8 130 16 57 to 100 Carver MS 85 18 291 64 29 to 100 Manchester MS 210 31 424 71 49 to 100 Salem MS 170 31 345 60 50 to 100 Bird HS 159 27 389 75 40 to 100 Cosby HS 18 2 82 25 19 to 100 Meadowbrook HS 142 22 504 73 28 to 100 Source: Prismatic calculations using CCPS data, February 2019
Recommendation
Adopt Breakfast After the Bell as a policy.
The school board should adopt a policy requiring a Breakfast After the Bell option in every division school with at least one student who qualifies for free or reduced-price meals. While it may not generate a large amount of net revenue serving a small number of lower income students breakfast, those students should not be penalized because they live in an affluent area of the school division. The FNS department could adopt a breakfast menu that is easier to implement in schools with low percentages of free and reduced-eligible students, such as a shelf-stable sack breakfast that can be prepared the afternoon before it is served.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation will have a cost, but it cannot be quantified with current data.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the CCPS school board consider a Breakfast After the Bell policy before the end of the 2019-20 school year.
22 http://frac.org/
2-40 Finding 21
Some of the current BIC options are overly time-consuming for cafeteria staff to prepare. They are also not always received well by teachers.
Exhibit 2-18 shows the preparation of bins for BIC at one CCPS elementary school. Each bin is designated to go to a particular classroom. Cafeteria staff spend a considerable amount of time each morning counting items into the bins. Once the bins are filled, they are wheeled to classrooms and left outside each door. Classroom teachers are charged with noting on an Accountability Roster whether a student selected a meal. Unselected items, along with the roster, are returned to the cafeteria manager. The cafeteria staff then must input the data into the POS system.
Exhibit 2-18 Breakfast in the Classroom Bins
Source: Prismatic, May 2018
Presently, only shelf-stable foods are provided on the kiosks. The menu could be expanded if hot foods were available for BIC.
Recommendation
Switch all tote BIC sites to hallway kiosks or carts.
The department should phase out all tote BIC sites in favor of hallway kiosks or carts. The students would still eat in their classrooms, but the menu could be expanded, students could have more choices, and cafeteria staff could resume responsibility for meal counting. Students should be expected to enter their student ID number into pin pads. A later finding in this report recommends the implementation of new options for hallway kiosks.
2-41 Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with some additional cost. One hallway kiosk setup the consulting team has identified would cost $657 per unit, not including the mobile POS system. Larger schools might require multiple units, so that one could be placed on each hall.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the department phase out all tote BIC sites at the end of the 2018-19 school year.
Summer Feeding
CCPS provides summer feeding at schools that also offer summer academic programming (enrichment or remediation). In reviewing summer feeding, the consulting team visited 12 sites in July 2018 and completed observations using a standardized rubric.
As part of reviewing this area, the consulting team fielded a paper-based survey that was handed out to parents present at meals with their children. Although 400 surveys were distributed, the returns were small, with just 30 responses. While too small to be considered in any way representative, two areas of response were intriguing:
Two-thirds of the responses indicated that this was the first summer in which they were participating in the summer feeding program.
One-fifth of the responses indicated that they or their children had skipped meals or cut the size of meals in the past 30 days because there was not enough money for food in their household.
The complete survey results are provided in Appendix D.
Finding 22
The summer feeding site operations the consulting team observed ran smoothly. Foods were plentiful and customer-appealing, and were served by a friendly, courteous staff.
The consulting team visited 12 summer feeding sites to observe operations:
Christian Elementary
Ecoff Elementary
Ettrick Elementary
Evergreen Elementary
Mataoaca Elementary
Mataoaca Middle East
Midlothian Middle
2-42 Scott Elementary
Swift Creek Middle
Weaver Elementary
Winterpock Elementary
Woolridge Elementary
Exhibit 2-19 shows a breakfast and lunch meal served during the review period.
Exhibit 2-19 Breakfast at Matoaca Middle Lunch at Bettie Weaver Elementary
Source: Prismatic, July 2018
Commendation
The FNS department recognizes the importance of supporting the nutritional needs of students during the summer months.
Finding 23
CCPS summer feeding sites are only open for two or four weeks. Needy students must find other meal sources in the community during the remaining eight or 10 weeks of summer break.
As currently configured, the CCPS summer feeding sites are only open as long as the academic remediation/enrichment programs run at the schools. In 2018, for example, the remediation sites were only open Monday through Thursday, July 9th through August 2nd, which was only 16 days in total. Academic courses could be as short as eight days over the course of two weeks.
2-43 Recommendation
Decide upon the purpose of summer feeding.
If the purpose is to provide meals to students attending summer programs, the process is working. If the purpose is to provide nourishment for needy students during the entire span of the summer, the current program is falling short. Based upon discussions with CCPS leaders, it may be more appropriate for the FNS department to work with local community agencies in a support role to address community hunger, rather than run a small feeding program at remediation/enrichment sites.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the division make a decision as soon as practicable.
Finding 24
Some CCPS schools selected to offer summer feeding were under construction and renovation during the Summer of 2018. This caused a hardship for preparing foods for the summer programs.
Staff complained about restrictive refrigeration and space limitations due to working in facilities that were under summer renovations. The projects were planned during the school year; however, the school nutrition staff was not a part of the planning process and did not have input regarding the impact the construction would have on summer feeding. Possible alternate sites could have been selected if advanced notice and planning had been communicated.
Recommendation
Work with the decision makers for summer school sites and maintenance/operations staff to determine what schools will be free from renovations during the weeks of the summer programs and would be best suited as summer school sites.
If CCPS decides to continue to offer a summer feeding program, FNS department leaders should work with the decision makers for summer school sites and maintenance/operations staff to determine what schools would be free from renovations during the weeks of the summer programs and would be best suited as summer school sites.
Interdepartmental meetings should include FNS staff so that there is open communication and cooperation among those impacted by the summer renovation work.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
2-44 Recommended Timeline
Assuming that the FNS department engages in summer feeding in the Summer of 2019, meetings with decision makers for summer school sites should happen as soon as possible.
Finding 25
During summer feeding, the consulting team observed many cases of sliced apples being discarded. The cafeteria managers stated that too many packages of sliced apples had been delivered and were not consumed in a timely manner. Even product that had good dates was observed to be mushy and not of good enough quality to serve. A small elementary school program received 10 cases of apples July 18, 2018 and, upon inspection, found them to be poor quality. Mold was evident on some of the product. In addition, the program could not use this much product in the time remaining for summer feeding.
According to interviews with central office staff, summer food orders were placed at the central level and based upon estimated participation. There was not a procedure in place to amend orders or cancel orders when participation was different than anticipated. Site staff was observed to be frustrated when trying to accommodate more food than facilities would hold. Site staff complained that notifying the central office of excess food did not alleviate the problem.
Exhibit 2-20 shows samples of the moldy apples delivered. The produce company credited the school district for the apples delivered; however, the site staff had to handle receiving and discarding the poor-quality product. With limited staff in summer programs, this created an undue hardship on the site managers.
Exhibit 2-20 Poor Quality Food Delivered to Summer Program
Source: Prismatic, July 2018
2-45 According to training provided by the ICN,23 inventory often ties up a large portion of the budget, so managing this system efficiently is crucial for the school nutrition program. Excessive orders can add to the overall food and labor costs. The balance between inventory and receiving food lies in the ability to control cost while adequately meeting the needs of the organization.
Recommendation
Revise procedures to order just enough food for each site and communicate with site managers what foods they should receive.
Managers should have a standard operating procedure (SOP) to refuse all foods and supplies that are not indicated on the order form. Maintain open communication with vendors to order additional foods if open sites have more participation than anticipated.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
Assuming that the FNS department engages in summer feeding in the Summer of 2019, procedures need to be revised before summer feeding starts. Cafeteria Operations
In school food service, the distance between the plans of central office school food administrators and the reality of daily on-the-ground operations can be significant. Yet, it is the day-to-day cafeteria operations that most determine whether or not first, a student selects a cafeteria meal, and second, whether that meal is enjoyed and consumed. Many factors come into play in daily operations, including areas such as lunch period scheduling, where a school food department often has little influence.
Operational Assessment
Finding 26
The department lacks a meaningful quality control program to assess cafeteria operations. The Supervisor Site Visit Report and Food Safety Checklist24 currently being used for this purpose are cumbersome, lack an effective follow-up procedure, and are not perceived as being a valuable tool.
Field supervisors use the Supervisor Site Visit Report and Food Safety Checklist25 to evaluate each of their assigned school operations. These two reports combined include 327 individual items to be observed and evaluated. The forms include pertinent topics such as accountability, food production, sanitation, serving, vending, USDA review, HACCP, sanitation, safety, and equipment. However individual items are repetitive and too detailed, making the process cumbersome and difficult to complete in one visit. Assessment using these tools is only being performed once a year. The reports are not
23 https://theicn.org/icn-resources-a-z/orientation-to-school-nutrition-management/ 24 Copies of these are provided in Appendix F.
2-46 perceived as being a valuable tool. Completing the reports is seen as a perfunctory task with little significance.
Some managers in a focus group noted the site visit report helps them and reinforces what they already know. Others stated the form should be shorter and simpler. One manager noted their field supervisor discussed the report with them while others stated their field supervisor did not.
During interviews with field supervisors all stated they do the reports only once a year and most said it takes more than one day to complete. One stated that it serves a good purpose but is not high on their priority list. Another stated she does not think managers see it as a valuable tool and nothing noted is a surprise to them. Some field supervisors give completed reports to the director; others give to the administrative assistant for filing.
The completed reports are not used for any constructive purpose. Results are not tabulated to identify areas needing training or changes to procedures or methods. There is no relationship or connection to strategic planning or goal setting. The department does not have an effective method to assess quality control in the cafeterias and utilize this valuable data.
A second part of assessing cafeteria operations is site visits by field supervisors and documentation of these visits. The director stated his expectation is field supervisors spend four days per week in their schools and one day in the office. During interviews, four field supervisors stated they spend four days per week in their schools and two stated they visit them two times per month. The consulting team determined the expectation that field supervisors spend 80% of their time in the schools is not being met, as demonstrated by focus groups and survey results.
In a focus group setting, managers gave the following responses when asked how often their field supervisor visits their school: once in 2 months (1), once in 3 months (1), every 2 months (3), 2 times per month (1). Cafeteria workers were asked the same question in their focus group and their responses were: a few times a year, every month, and the schools far away from the office are rarely visited. When asked how often their supervisor visits their kitchen, the 386 respondents to Prismatic’s survey gave these responses:
At least once a week 5% About once every other week 9% About once a month 33% Less than once a month 24% Don't know 28%
The ICN has determined the competencies, knowledge, and skills needed for positions at various levels in the operation of school meals programs. At the district level, ICN documentation states that directors and supervisors:
are hired by school districts to oversee district-wide foodservice operation and their responsibilities include planning, administering, implementing,
2-47 monitoring, and evaluating all aspects of the SN program to ensure that school meals are nutritious, age-appropriate, appealing, and cost effective.26
The importance of supervisors doing monitoring and evaluation is clearly noted as a result of this research. In its Keys to Excellence self-assessment tool, the SNA states the following best practice in the area of program accountability, “A system for internal audits and reviews is established to evaluate the performance of the school nutrition program and identify and control problems.”27
The value of monitoring and assessment is clearly documented as a best practice. In her seminal textbook, School Foodservice Management28, Dorothy VanEgmond Pannell discusses the role of the director or supervisor. “A supervisor is responsible for evaluating programs, aiding the foodservice manager, and generally directing the individual foodservice units.” The importance of monitoring and oversight cannot be underestimated, as child nutrition programs in schools are federal (USDA) programs with comprehensive regulations and requirements. Cafeteria managers are responsible for ensuring that all regulations are being followed. Infractions can result in fiscal penalties. Child nutrition operates as an enterprise within the school district with fiduciary responsibility to manage public funds in an accountable manner. Cafeteria managers play a key role in ensuring the financial success of the department as they control many of the expenditures and all of the revenue streams. And finally, employees perform at a higher level and are more motivated if they receive on-site evaluation, training, guidance, and coaching, and understand the role they play toward program success and accountability.
Recommendation
Use a tablet-based program or app to evaluate all pertinent aspects of a kitchen operation.
Field supervisors should regularly assess each of their assigned schools. Results of the assessment should be shared with kitchen staff and used to monitor areas needing improvement or indicate areas of excellent performance. This evaluation process should be performed a minimum of bi-monthly with results reviewed and used by the director and assistant director for goal setting, strategic planning, and to determine training needs and necessary changes to procedures and SOPs. The department should develop both short- and long-form observation tools for use on the tablets.
The department should develop a program for field supervisors to assess quality control and cafeteria operations. Data compiled should be used for staff feedback and continuous improvement at the site level, as well as goal setting, strategic planning, and to determine training needs, and necessary changes to procedures and SOPs at the district level.
26 Nettles, M. F., Asperin, A., & Carr, D. (2010). Competencies, knowledge, and skills for district level school nutrition professionals in the 21st century. University, MS: National Food Service Management Institute. 27 https://schoolnutrition.org/learning-center/usda-professional-standards/keys-to-excellence/ 28 VanEgmond Pannell, D. (1990). School foodservice management (4th ed.). Van Nostrand Reinhold.
2-48 The department needs to ensure expectations for how often supervisors visit each kitchen are being met. The main focus of the supervisor’s day should be to monitor school operations in at least one school every day. Supervisors should use a tablet-driven application/form for noting observations and assessing kitchen performance during each visit. This will provide a record of school visits for follow-up as well as provide the director a snapshot of operations at the school level.
On a less frequent basis, preferably once every two months, a more in depth assessment should be completed for all sites. Field supervisors should be able to complete this review in several hours allowing time during the visit to discuss with kitchen staff. Coaching and sharing of best practices should be a part of this discussion. Data collected from this in-depth assessment should be tabulated and used for planning purposes. Problems or deficiencies of a consistent nature in numerous schools should be evaluated as to solutions. This information can then be used to set goals for planning purposes as well as determine whether additional training or necessary changes to SOPs are needed.
Areas to be assessed should include:
food preparation methods and quality;
HACCP procedures, food safety and sanitation;
cleanliness of kitchen and storeroom;
proper use of equipment;
meal service procedures (breakfast and lunch), portions, menu selections, plate waste;
cashiering, POS procedures, and money counting;
preparation of reports, ordering, and inventory;
customer service;
condition of equipment and physical facility; and
chemical usage and storage.
The checklist should include a section to note any corrective action needed. After the evaluation, the checklist should be discussed with the manager and a plan should be determined to address any areas needing follow-up. The department should maintain an adequate pool of assistant and manager substitutes to ensure area supervisors are not being used to fill in for vacancies so they can perform the monitoring and oversight duties as outlined in their job descriptions.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with minimal resources. There are commercial options available for this type of inspection system that cost less than $1,000 a month.
2-49 Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends the FNS department investigate options and select one for rollout with the nine pilot schools in the second semester of 2019-20.
Finding 27
Cafeteria staffing is problematic. A chronic shortage of substitute workers was indicated by both site-based staff as well as central office staff. Analysis of MPLH calculations indicated 51% of kitchens were performing at levels higher than industry recommended guidelines. The employment tech indicated resignations are mainly due to dissatisfaction with assigned hours and pay. The director indicated his goal is to maintain the labor operating ratio at 30% which is lower than recommended industry standards of 40%.
The vacancy rate for kitchen positions is extremely high. An analysis of Staffing Detail by Location, provided by CCPS, indicated 80% of schools had unfilled positions. The overall department vacancy rate from month to month ranged from 19.7% to 26.7%. When asked if they had enough labor, all managers in a focus group indicated there were labor shortages. This issue was also mentioned by all field supervisors as well as the director, assistant director, and employment tech. This problem is exacerbated by the chronic lack of substitutes to fill in when assigned staff need to take a day off for illness or personal leave. The employment tech stated there are 20 substitutes available to work. Observations by the consulting team noted not all serving lines were in operation due to a lack of staff. One manager stated when a line is closed, participation can drop by 100 students in one day.
The great number of short-hour positions in all kitchens is a major contributor to the department’s labor shortages. Managers are assigned eight hours per day and assistant managers work seven hours. All other staff are assigned five hours or less with the majority assigned three to four hours. The policy to have so many short-hour positions has made it difficult to find enough people to staff all schools. In their focus group, managers stated they do not need more people – they need more hours and the three- hour positions are not good.
The FNS department had previously determined that employment benefits must be paid if working 28 hours per week (5.5 hours per day). Later communications with leaders in the human resources department corrected this to state that only those who work 30+ hours per week are eligible for benefits. As all other cafeteria staff work five hours or less per day, the only staff to receive benefits are managers and assistants. The unemployment rate in June 2018 in Chesterfield and Richmond was 3.2% which was lower than the national average of 3.9%, so there is a low labor pool from which to draw. The lack of benefits, few assigned hours, and a tight labor market in the area has resulted in a major labor problem for the department.
Another labor problem is that assigned staff in 51% of the kitchens are performing at levels higher than industry recommended guidelines. The most common means of measuring employee productivity in child nutrition programs is the Meals per Labor Hour (MPLH) measure. This is calculated by dividing the number of meal equivalents produced and served in a day by the number of labor hours required to produce and serve those meals.
2-50 A meal equivalent (MEQ) is the rate used to compare the amount of labor needed to prepare one lunch with labor needed to prepare breakfasts, snacks, or à la carte. The student reimbursable lunch meal is the standard unit of conversion for determining MEQs. School lunch is used as the basis of comparison because it is the main source of revenue and it takes the most time to prepare. Therefore, all meal types are converted to meal equivalents for the purposes of measurement. An MEQ is not a unit of production but a calculation that allows a school nutrition program to equate all meals and à la carte sales to a standard. À la carte revenue is converted to an MEQ by dividing total revenue by a standard.
CCPS follows the ICN conversion formulas when calculating MEQs:
one lunch equates to one MEQ;
three breakfasts equate to two MEQs;
three snacks equate to one MEQ;
one supper equates to one MEQ; and
à la carte equivalents = à la carte revenue ÷ (current free lunch reimbursement + current USDA foods value per lunch).
Exhibit 2-21 shows the industry standard recommended MPLH for school programs. CCPS was observed to use the convenience system of food preparation which means a large number of processed food items are used. Exhibit 2-21 Industry Standard Recommended Meals Per Labor Hour
Meals Per Labor Hour (MPLH) Number of Conventional System Convenience System Meal Low High Low High Equivalents Productivity Productivity Productivity Productivity Up to 100 8 10 10 12 101 - 150 9 11 11 13 151 - 200 10-11 12 12 14 202 - 250 12 14 14 15 251 - 300 13 15 15 16 301 - 400 14 16 16 18 401 - 500 14 17 18 19 501 - 600 15 17 18 19 601 - 700 16 18 19 20 701 - 800 17 19 20 22 801 - 900 18 20 21 23 901 up 19 21 22 23 Source: School Foodservice Management for the 21st Century, 5th Edition.
Exhibit 2-22 shows each of CCPS kitchen’s MEQs, MPLH, and actual labor hours compared to recommended MPLH and labor hour guidelines.
2-51 To determine staff hours needed using the recommended staffing guidelines, the following formula was used:
Total MEQ ÷ Productivity Rate = Labor Hours
“Over” indicates the kitchen is working over recommended standards and there are not enough labor hours assigned. Calculations show 47% of all schools are performing at this level. 29% are working under recommended standards and have too many assigned labor hours. 24% are working within the recommended guidelines and have the correct number of assigned hours. The large number of schools with insufficient assigned labor hours is especially problematic when combined with the large number of vacancies and lack of substitutes. Staff are expected to perform without adequate human resources which has led to the predictable result of an inadequate labor pool due to resignations and a lack of interested applicants.
Exhibit 2-22 CCPS Meals per Labor Hour Compared to National Standards
School Meal Equivalents Actual MPLH Standard MPLH Actual Labor Hours Standard Labor Hours Over, Within, or Under Standard Elementary Schools Bellwood 653 22.5 19-20 29.00 34-32 Over Bensley 926 22.6 21-23 41.00 44-40 Within Beulah 708 24.8 20-22 28.50 35-32 Over Bon Air 398 19.0 16-18 21.00 25-22 Over Chalkley 1206 23.7 21-23 51.00 57-52 Over Christian/TPA 969 21.9 21-23 44.25 46-42 Within Bellwood 653 22.5 19-20 29.00 34-32 Over Bensley 926 22.6 21-23 41.00 44-40 Within Beulah 708 24.8 20-22 28.50 35-32 Over Bon Air 398 19.0 16-18 21.00 25-22 Over Chalkley 1206 23.7 21-23 51.00 57-52 Over Christian/TPA 969 21.9 21-23 44.25 46-42 Within Clover Hill E. 441 18.0 18-19 24.50 24.5-23 Within Crenshaw 556 19.7 18-19 28.25 31-29 Over Crestwood 518 17.7 18-19 29.25 29-27 Under Curtis 604 19.8 19-20 30.50 32-30 Within Davis 793 22.5 20-22 35.25 40-36 Over 29-Ecoff 704 23.3 20-22 30.25 35-32 Over Enon 0 0.0 0.00 0.00 0.00 N/A Ettrick 676 19.2 19-20 35.25 35-34 Within Evergreen 597 23.2 18-19 25.75 33-31 Over Falling Crk E. 1053 24.5 21-23 43.00 50-46 Over Gates 512 22.0 18-19 23.25 28-27 Over Gordon 230 14.4 14-15 16.00 16-15 Within Grange Hall 486 23.1 18-19 21.00 27-25.5 Over
2-52
School Meal Equivalents Actual MPLH Standard MPLH Actual Labor Hours Standard Labor Hours Over, Within, or Under Standard Greenfield 351 20.7 16-18 17.00 22-19.5 Over Harrowgate 655 21.7 19-20 30.25 34-33 Over Hening 906 22.0 21-23 41.25 43-39 Within Hopkins 732 18.5 20-22 39.50 37-33 Over Jacobs 621 19.6 19-20 31.75 33-31 Within Matoaca 424 20.7 18-19 20.50 24-22 Over Providence E. 576 21.0 18-19 27.50 32-30 Over Reams 573 22.2 18-19 25.75 32-30 Over Robious 328 20.5 16-18 16.00 20.5-18 Over Salem 510 18.6 18-19 27.50 28-27 Within Scott 955 24.2 21-23 39.50 45-41.5 Over Smith 324 16.6 16-18 19.50 20-18 Within Spring Run 510 21.3 18-19 24.00 28-27 Over Sw. Crk. 515 23.4 18-19 22.00 29-27 Over Watkins 487 16.2 18-19 30.00 27-26 Under Weaver, Bettie 244 15.3 14-15 16.00 17-16 Within Wells 397 17.3 16-18 23.00 25-22 Within Winterpock 540 23.5 18-19 23.00 30-28 Over Woolridge 367 19.3 16-18 19.00 23-20 Over Middle Schools Bailey Bridge 948 24.3 21-23 39 45-41 Over Carver 765 18.9 20-22 40.5 38-35 Over Elizabeth Davis 911 21.2 21-23 43 43-40 Within Falling Creek 1644 23.7 21-23 69.25 78-71 Over Manchester 1279 22.6 21-23 56.5 61-56 Within Matoaca 680 14.7 19-20 46.25 36-34 Under Midlothian 391 15 16-18 26 24-22 Under Providence 872 18.2 21-23 48 41.5-38 Under Robious 726 20.8 20-22 35 36-33 Within Salem 893 20.8 21-23 43 42.5-39 Under Sw. Crk. 616 17.6 19-20 35 32-31 Under Tomahawk 625 18.4 19-20 34 33-31 Under High Schools Bird 1191 18.5 21-23 64.50 57-52 Under CloverHill 531 10.9 18-19 49.00 32-28 Under Cosby 781 14.7 20-22 53.00 39-35.5 Under JRHS 1146 23.9 21-23 48.00 54.5-50 Under Manchester 1009 18.7 21-23 54.00 48-44 Under Matoaca 824 16.6 21-23 49.50 39-36 Under Meadowbrook 1199 17.9 21-23 67.00 57-52 Under Midlo 527 13.9 18-19 38.00 29-28 Under Monacan 674 14.7 19-20 46.00 35-34 Under TDHS 1223 15.6 21-23 78.25 58-53 Under
2-53
School Meal Equivalents Actual MPLH Standard MPLH Actual Labor Hours Standard Labor Hours Over, Within, or Under Standard Tech Center 569 25.9 18-19 22.00 32-30 Over Tech @ Hull 221 17.0 14-15 13.00 16-15 Over Community High 197 14.6 12-14 13.50 16-14 Over Source: CCPS data with Prismatic calculations, May 2018
Cost as a percentage of revenue is often referred to as an operating ratio. The director stated his goal is to maintain a labor operating ratio of 30%. This shows how much of revenue is spent on labor and benefits combined. An analysis of financial data provided by the district showed 34.5% was spent on salaries and benefits for the 2017-18 school year. Industry standards recommends a labor operating ratio of 40-45%. The department’s low operating ratio is reflected in the large number of schools that are staffed at lower than industry recommendations. Recommendation
Increase labor hours at all schools with a MPLH higher than industry standards and adjust the goal labor operating ratio to 40%.
The department should begin by increasing the hours of all currently unfilled three- and four-hour positions in the nine pilot schools to 5+ hours. The department should also explore joint employment opportunities with other departments to provide full-time employment (with benefits) to employees. Success in either (or both) of these efforts should provide the department with direction for addressing the labor shortage elsewhere.
The employment tech and field supervisors should perform an assessment of staffing for all kitchens. Managers should be included to provide insight and suggestions. Total labor hours should be increased at all schools operating at a level higher than industry standards. A determination should be made as to how many people are needed during preparation, serving, and clean up with the goal of increasing most of the short hour positions to 5.5 hours and decreasing the number of individuals needed. This process should result in the need for fewer employees, positions that are more attractive to the small available labor pool, and a decreased turnover rate.
Once this process is completed a financial analysis of the total labor and benefits expenditures accounts should be performed to determine the operating ratio. Adjustments should be made if not within the range of 40-45% of revenue. Budgets should be monitored and adjusted as necessary to ensure this goal is met on an annual basis.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation will result in increased labor costs, but the specific impact is not yet know.
2-54 Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the department begin by increasing hours and seeking dual employment positions within the nine pilot schools immediately.
Kiosks
The utilization of kiosks for breakfast has brought national recognition for the district. The district received a grant to expand the program. Exhibit 2-23 shows one of the kiosks purchased with grant funds.
Exhibit 2-23 CCPS Kiosk Purchased With Grant Funds
Source: Prismatic, July 2018
Finding 28
Although the department leaders believe that the implementation of breakfast kiosks led to an increase in breakfast participation, it has not maintained the initial grant implementation, nor has it expanded beyond the initial grant-fund sites.
In its initial observations, the consulting team observed the grant-funded kiosks in use. However, upon later site visits, the consulting team found that some kiosks had been taken out of service due to a perceived lack of school staffing. At the elementary school where this was observed in Fall 2018, all students went through the cafeteria to select a meal, then took it to their classroom. This resulted in an 11-minute wait time in the
2-55 cafeteria and a number of students getting to their classroom after the official start of school.
Kiosks can be a key component in a Breakfast After the Bell (BAB) initiative and BAB is often the key ingredient in increasing breakfast participation. As noted by the National No Kid Hungry Center for Best Practices:
In 2015, No Kid Hungry provided small incentives to 28 schools to change the timing of their Grab and Go breakfast allowing students to eat after the bell. Twenty-two (79%) schools saw an increase in participation during or after the 2-week pilot period, with an average breakfast participation increase of 17 points.29
Recommendation
Prioritize the continuance of breakfast kiosks or other Breakfast After the Bell modes in every school where breakfast kiosks were introduced.
Once implemented, the department should not later reduce service due to staffing shortages. This could include BIC or simply allowing students to obtain a meal from the cafeteria and consume it in the classroom.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the department implement this recommendation before the end of the 2018-19 school year.
Finding 29
The district has not collected empirical data to assess whether the breakfast kiosks result in increased breakfast participation. Having data to show increases would help to justify the expansion of the program and to support the goals of the grant.
As stated in the ICN’s Essential KPIs for School Nutrition Success:
Performance measurement is an essential managerial function. It exposes the gaps between current and desired performance, and provides evidence if progress has been made toward closing the gaps.30
Recommendation
Use POS reports and historical data to generate the results of breakfast participation in the schools with kiosks.
29 http://bestpractices.nokidhungry.org/sites/default/files/download- resource/Tips%20for%20Implementing%20an%20Effective%20Grab%20and%20Go%20Breakfa st%20Program.pdf 30 https://theicn.org/icn-resources-a-z/essential-kpis
2-56 Compare breakfast participation before and after implementation of the kiosks. Compare breakfast participation between schools that have kiosks and those that do not. Determine the impact that kiosk utilization has on labor needs and determine if the kiosk is cost effective (use MPLH).
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the department complete this analysis over the Summer of 2018.
Finding 30
The kiosks currently used by CCPS for breakfast service outside the cafeteria do not maintain temperature well. Presently, only shelf-stable foods are provided on the kiosks. The menu could be expanded if hot foods were available for breakfast in the classroom or Breakfast After the Bell.
Exhibit 2-24 shows the current kiosks used by CCPS for BIC. Exhibit 2-25 provides stock photos from one vendor of a storage box designed for transporting foods. The consulting team did find a similar system in the kitchen of one CCPS school (not one of the nine pilot schools), so it is not clear how many systems similar to this the division already owns. Features of this box include that it is lightweight, versatile for hot or cold items, and maintains food temperatures well. According to staff, participation at one of the schools using this storage container doubled from 250 breakfasts to 500 breakfasts daily. The same unit that holds four 4-inch deep pans is also available. They are easily stacked for larger programs. Exhibit 2-26 provides photos of other options the consulting team has found in use in other school districts/divisions.
2-57 Exhibit 2-24 Kiosks Currently Used in CCPS
Source: Prismatic, May 2018
Exhibit 2-25 Alternatives for Kiosk Service
Cambro CamGoBox™ EPP300 Inside storage and Camwarmer
Source: Cambro, 2019
2-58 Exhibit 2-26 Alternatives for Kiosk Service Found in Other School Districts/Divisions
Breakfast Cart with Hot and Cold Items
Source: Prismatic, 2019
Portable Cart Option Capable of Maintaining Temperatures
Source: Prismatic, 2013
Recommendation
Purchase portable merchandizers that will accommodate hot and cold breakfast foods.
Offering hot foods will encourage participation because it expands the breakfast offerings. Appealing hot foods for students include meat & biscuits, pancakes, waffles, egg omelets, frittatas, and French toast. The same units could be used to expand feeding
2-59 points in schools with long lines in the main cafeteria and for satellite feeding in the summer program. The consulting team recommends reviewing kiosk options offered by Cambro.
Fiscal Impact
Using portable kiosks that provide hot and cold food choices should increase participation that will provide payoff within a short period of time. A single unit includes the box, the dolly, and a warming unit. The suggested list price for each piece is:
CamGoBox® EPP300: $375
CamDolly® CD3253: $140
CamWarmer® HP3253: $142
This results in a total price of $657 per unit. There are currently 58 kiosks available for the BIC program. Replacing all 58 would require $38,106.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends implementing new kiosks in all of the nine pilot schools in 2019-20, evaluating the results after the first semester, and then beginning a phased implementation in all of the remaining schools in the second semester.
Recipes
The HHFKA provided sweeping modifications to the school nutrition programs and made significant changes in the required meal components. The new regulations require districts to charge equitable prices for full-pay meals and non-reimbursable à la carte items, establish nutritional requirements for all foods sold on campuses at any time during the school day, provide free water where meals are served, provide nutrition education to students in the district, and require school nutrition directors/managers to meet education, training, and certification requirements.
Exhibit 2-27 provides the nutritional requirements as specified in HHFKA. Both the breakfast and lunch menus now must offer more fruits and vegetables than before. Milk must be low-fat or fat-free. Sodium levels must be reduced. Whole grains must be increased and trans fats must be eliminated. In the last few years, while many districts have successfully implemented the requirements of HHFKA, there have been discussions at the federal level about rolling back some provisions and delaying the implementation of others. Those discussions concluded in December 2018, with the announcement by the USDA of the Final Rule on School Meal Flexibilities. The results of the Final Rule are shown in the exhibit.
2-60 Exhibit 2-27 Summary of Nutritional Requirements for Breakfast and Lunch
Breakfast Lunch 1 cup per day (vegetable substitution Fruit and ¾-1 cup vegetables plus ½-1 cup fruit allowed). Students are allowed to Vegetables per day. select ½ cup under Offer Versus Serve. Daily minimum of 1 ounce equivalent Daily minimums varying by grade: minimum per day; weekly minimum K-5: 1 oz. eq. min. daily (8-9 oz. weekly) ranges, varying by grade: Grains 6-8: 1 oz. eq. min. daily (8-10 oz. weekly) K-5: 7-10 ounces 9-12: 2 oz. eq. min. daily (10-12 oz. 6-8: 8-10 ounces weekly) 9-12: 9-10 ounces K-5: 1 oz. eq. min. daily (8-10 oz. weekly) May substitute meat/meat alternates Meat/Meat 6-8: 1 oz. eq. min. daily (9-10 oz. weekly) after minimum daily requirement for Alternate 9-12: 2 oz. eq. min. daily (10-12 oz. grains is met. weekly) Whole At least half of weekly grains must be At least half of weekly grains must be Grains whole grain rich. whole grain rich. 1 cup, 1% or fat-free 1 cup, 1% or fat-free Milk (unflavored/flavored) (unflavored/flavored) Target 1 Target 2 Target 1 Target 2 (2019-24): (2024-25): (2019-24): (2024-25): Sodium* K-5: ≤ 540 mg K-5: ≤ 485 mg K-5: ≤ 1230 mg K-5: ≤ 935 mg 6-8: ≤ 600 mg 6-8: ≤ 535 mg 6-8: ≤ 1360 mg 6-8: ≤ 1035 mg 9-12: ≤ 640 mg 9-12: ≤ 570 mg 9-12: ≤ 1420 mg 9-12: ≤ 1080 mg Zero grams per serving Zero grams per serving Trans Fat (nutrition label) (nutrition label) Source: USDA, December 2018 *Target 1 was set to be implemented by 2014-15
Finding 31
The department creates recipes for each menu item and staff follows them. However, the recipes are not a typical recipe that lists ingredients and steps, but are instead primarily an instruction guide for heat and serve. The CCPS recipes also include food safety notes, but do not include food costing.
Exhibit 2-28 provides the division’s recipe for beef tacos.
2-61 Exhibit 2-28 CCPS Beef Tacos
Source: CCPS, 2018
The USDA offers a wealth of recipes that meet the needs of the school meals programs, such as the one shown in Exhibit 2-29.
2-62 Exhibit 2-29 USDA Mexicali Taco Boat Recipe (portion)
Source: https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/main-dishes
Recommendation
Develop true recipes to support convenience/scratch cooking.
By moving to convenience/scratch cooking, recipes will need to be developed and tested. Staff will need to be trained on reading and using standardized recipes. All recipes need to include food costs. Production records will need to be revised
2-63 Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that at least a few new recipes to support convenience/scratch cooking be introduced in 2019-20, then increased for each of the next several years.
Training Needs
The purpose of the Professional Standards provision of HHFKA is to establish minimum continuing education standards for all school nutrition professionals. These training standards help ensure that child nutrition personnel have the knowledge, training, and tools they need to plan, prepare, and serve nutritious meals to students. Exhibit 2-30 outlines the minimum training hours required for each employee group. The HHFKA requires that training:
be job-specific;
apply to the employee’s work duties; and
assist them in optimal performance of their assigned job duties.
Exhibit 2-30 Professional Standards Annual Training Hours Required
CN Position Hours Directors 12 Managers 10 Staff 6 Staff (less than 20 hours) 4 Source: USDA, July 2015
Finding 32
There is no overall training plan for school-based staff. It appears that the majority of information is communicated in a two-hour monthly meeting for managers. The only other routine training is at the beginning of the year for all employees where required modules are presented – it is the same training every year.
Required annual training in the FNS department includes a number of items not specific to school food service:
acceptable use policy (30 minutes);
bloodborne pathogens (25 minutes);
sexual harassment (30 minutes);
stormwater pollution prevention (20 minutes);
2-64 life-threatening allergy awareness (20 minutes); and
hazard communications (15 minutes).
All of these training sessions are delivered in live, in-person format, even though a number of options exist to deliver and test on the same content via asynchronous, remote methods. The department also tracks back-to-school training (3 hours) and monthly hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCP) meetings.
In 2017-18, cafeteria managers and managers in training could take additional classes, including:
serving line presentation (1.5 hours);
combi oven use (2 hours); and
various summer workshops.
Based on the data provided, not all managers completed each of these additional classes in 2017-18.
Employees who want to become cafeteria managers are required to complete a comprehensive Manager in Training (MIT) program. This training includes 13, 1.5-hour sessions covering these topics:
Food Production Records, Menu Planning with Recipes, Student Involvement;
Maintaining Food Quality & Appearance using Smarter Lunchroom, Food Safety and HACCP Procedures;
Inventory Management and Receiving & Storage;
Purchasing and Procurement with Cost and Portion Control;
Financial Management and Accounting Procedures;
Basic Culinary Techniques for Food Production;
Cashier and Point of Service, Learning the Computer Software;
Understanding Your Customer, Productive Work Schedules, Free & Reduced Price Meal Benefits;
Serve Food Right with Offer Versus Serve, Food Allergies, Special Diets, and USDA Foods/Keany;
Conflict Management, Dealing with Difficult People, and Maintaining a Professional Image;
Train the Trainer Interpersonal Skills;
Employee Health, Safety, and Wellness; and
Using Technology in your Job.
2-65 While robust, MIT is available only to select cafeteria staff.
Outside of formal training, manuals for completing tasks in the Winsnap (back of the house) and WebSMARTT (front of the house) applications could be made available to staff via Google Docs (at the time of the interview, updates were still being provided to managers via paper). Both are detailed, step-by-step instruction manuals created and maintained by an FNS supervisor.
Based on data provided by the FNS department for 2017-18, 27 cafeteria staff did not meet the HHFKA requirements. Among the department-level staff, FNS only required six hours of training, instead of 10, for all staff members other than the director and assistant director, which would seem to be in conflict with HHFKA guidance. Among the department-level staff, five completed less than six hours of training in 2017-18.
The SNA, in its Keys to Excellence, notes two indicators related to best practices in training (Exhibit 2-31). The consulting team found that CCPS fully meets neither of these indicators.
Exhibit 2-31 SNA Keys to Excellence in Training
Present Indicator Description in CCPS? All school nutrition personnel attend a basic nutrition class or have access to online nutrition educational materials. Partially A4.1.1 Staff are encouraged towards obtaining the SNA Certificate Present in School Nutrition or the SNS Credential. The school nutrition program applies for available funds to Not A4.1.2 provide nutrition/nutrition education training for school Present nutrition personnel. Source: https://schoolnutrition.org/learning-center/usda-professional-standards/keys-to- excellence/
Recommendation
Implement robust training for school-based staff, especially prior to school starting.
Before school training time should be used to discuss new and relevant information, instead of doing the same thing over and over. There are numerous free training resources available from ICN. Required division trainings (such as bloodborne pathogens) should be delivered only in an asynchronous mode, via online options.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources, but will likely require a commitment to an annual training budget.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team will work with the department to develop a training plan subsequent to this report.
2-66 Finding 33
Training for department-level staff is not planned. Staff depends on association activities and training on their own time to stay updated and informed.
In 2017-18, department-level staff were documented as having completed many of the same trainings that cafeteria-based staff completed, namely:
acceptable use policy (30 minutes);
bloodborne pathogens (25 minutes);
sexual harassment (30 minutes);
stormwater pollution prevention (20 minutes);
life-threatening allergy awareness (20 minutes); and
hazard communications (15 minutes).
A number of department-level staff also completed training in serving line presentation and combi oven programming. Some attended external training, including an industry conference, the SNA state conference, and the Heartland user conference.
Recommendation
Develop a training program for department-level staff.
Department-level staff should be trained on basic leadership, communication skills, and resources to stay updated and relevant in the field. Training programs should be individualized, based on identified needs in annual evaluations and upcoming needs of the department.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources, but will likely require a commitment to an annual training budget.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team will work with the department to develop a training plan subsequent to this report. Marketing
Marketing and advertising of food items impact what children choose to eat.31 Marketing can assist with the promotion of the healthier food items. When marketing is enhanced by incorporating nutrition education, students learn the health benefits of eating healthy.
31 Institute of Medicine, Committee on Food Marketing and the Diets of Children and Youth. (2006). Food marketing to children and youth: Threat or opportunity? Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
2-67 School meals provide a great opportunity for significant intervention through nutrition education.32
The SNA Keys to Excellence includes Marketing as a Key Topic, noting, “A comprehensive marketing plan promotes participation in school meal programs.” The SNA identifies three best practices in this area:
A marketing plan is developed and implemented using established marketing principles and techniques.
Reimbursable meals are promoted as the meal of choice.
The school nutrition program develops a branded concept for the program to enhance visibility and benefit of school meals.33
Marketing Plan and Marketing Efforts
Finding 34
One of the food service supervisors is designated to focus on marketing the school nutrition program. She has produced many marketing items to improve communications.
Commendation
The FNS department recognizes the importance of marketing, as evidenced by the assignment of a food service supervisor to focus on it.
Finding 35
The district’s marketing plan is a list of marketing activities, not a plan with prioritized goals, strategies, and measures. Marketing the program is done through printing posters, line menus, à la carte pricing info, recruiting posters, etc. There is no overall plan or budget for marketing. The supervisor responsible for marketing is getting lost in the minutia of planning National School Lunch Week, without relating it to a greater plan.
There is no evaluation process to determine the effectiveness of the individual marketing efforts. Interviews with department leaders indicate little focus is given to assessing the success of marketing efforts.
The SNA, in its Keys to Excellence, notes seven indicators related to the development and implementation of a marketing plan (Exhibit 2-32). The consulting team found that CCPS fully meets only one of these indicators.
32 Perez-Rodrigo, C., & Aranceta, J. (2003). Nutrition education in schools: experiences and challenges. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 57, S82–S85. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601824 33 https://schoolnutrition.org/learning-center/usda-professional-standards/keys-to-excellence/
2-68 Exhibit 2-32 SNA Keys to Excellence in Marketing Plan Development and Implementation
Present Indicator Description in CCPS? A school nutrition program mission statement is created D1.1.1 Present and published. An analysis is conducted to identify the program’s Not D1.1.2 Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT Present analysis.) Objectives and strategies for the marketing plan are Not D1.1.3 developed. Present Not D1.1.4 The target audience(s) is identified. Present A budget is determined to fund the marketing plan and Not D1.1.5 included as a line item in the school nutrition program Present budget. School nutrition personnel receive training on the Not D1.1.6 marketing plan as well as tools to use for implementation. Present The marketing plan is evaluated on a regular basis and Not D1.1.7 modified as needed. Present Source: https://schoolnutrition.org/learning-center/usda-professional-standards/keys-to- excellence/
Recommendation
Develop an overall marketing plan.
The consulting team recommends beginning from the ground up with a new logo, program name, new collateral, new uniforms, etc. Prioritize strategies for each year, set goals and deadlines, and create a list of staff responsible for each goal. The marketing supervisor should oversee the marketing plan and make recommendations for changes as needed. Only after the marketing plan is developed and implemented should the department begin to focus on specific promotions during the year, such as National School Lunch Week.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team will provide an initial recommended marketing plan subsequent to this report.
Finding 36
The marketing supervisor is creative and produces high-quality work. Some of the tasks, such as creating computer images, signs, posters, and menus using computer graphics, take an abundance of the supervisor’s time. The supervisor has little experience in
2-69 handling social media and is not currently responsible for the department’s online presence.
Recommendation
Support marketing with clerical staff with technical skills.
The department should assign clerical staff with computer skills to create the artwork designed by the marketing supervisor to free up the marketing supervisor’s time to work on the strategies and marketing activities of the marketing plan. The department should seek technology support through the division’s IT department to set up social media accounts and an improved webpage. The department could also partner with graphics classes in CCPS high schools to obtain free technical skills and provide students with real-world experience.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources, if current department clerical staff has the requisite computer skills or if the department can forge a working relationship with the IT department or a high school graphics class.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the department request meetings with IT department staff and teachers of high school graphics classes to explore options before the close of the 2018-19 school year.
Special Marketing and Marketing Promotions
Finding 37
The department staff does not work together sufficiently to support marketing efforts.
In interviews, department leaders indicated little focus was placed on ensuring cohesive efforts to support marketing. Department staff members indicated that internal collaboration and support is often weak. For example, on “Meatless Mondays” in the high schools, only cheese-focused items are served and there has been no effort to introduce innovative plant-based options.
As noted by Martin and Conklin in Managing Child Nutrition Programs: Leadership for Excellence:
Many people think of marketing as the advertising, promotion, or selling of a commodity—from soup to nuts, or nutcrackers. But marketing is much more than advertising, promotion, or selling. Marketing includes everything from identifying the target market and defining what will be delivered to that target market to evaluating whether the product or service has been delivered to the target market and whether that product or service has helped to achieve an established goal.34
34 Martin, J. and Conklin, M. (1999). Managing child nutrition programs: Leadership for excellence. Gaiterhsburg, MD: Aspen Publishers. p. 613.
2-70 Although this definition speaks to marketing generally, it is equally applicable to special marketing efforts.
Recommendation
Provide leadership to improve internal collaboration and support for marketing efforts.
Marketing is not a function that can be accomplished in isolation, as it is not solely a matter of creating signs and slogans. Instead, marketing must be on the minds and in the actions of all department staff.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that department leaders begin to address this before the end of the 2018-19 school year.
Student Perceptions
Positive student perceptions are critical to the success of a school meal program. The consulting team gathered student perceptions through Rate My Lunch, an online survey, and informal discussions while observing meal periods. These were discussed in Chapter 1 of this report and the complete student survey results are provided in Appendix B.
Finding 38
As measured by an online survey, there is room for improvement in student perceptions of the school meals program. While some percentage of high school respondents gave the program positive marks, a substantial portion gave the program negative marks in terms of variety, healthiness, and level of processing.
Recommendation
Implement a regular feedback loop with secondary students.
The department should adopt a method of obtaining regular feedback from students, either through an application similar to RateMyLunch, an online survey, or other automated means. The results should be disaggregated to the school level and compared to school-level participation rates in order to identify areas in need of improvement.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the department select a method of obtaining student feedback in 2019-20 and fully implement it in 2020-21.
2-71 Website Content
The FNS department has a page within the division’s overall website. It provides information in a number of relevant areas and is kept up to date (Exhibit 2-33).
Exhibit 2-33 FNS Main Webpage
Source: CCPS, 2019
Finding 39
The department’s primary webpage includes a number of useful items. However, it and the links to lunch menus from the school-level webpages are not often accessed.
The FNS department is not routinely measuring website hits in order to assess the reach of its website content. The consulting team requested website analytics (traffic data) from the division’s IT department. For the period September 4, 2018 through November 30, 2018, the primary FNS webpage had a total of 4,342 unique page views, which translates into an average of just 50 unique views a day. Viewers are spending an average of 1.28 minutes on the page. Similar statistics for the FNS link of the school-level pages are provided in Exhibit 2-34. Schools not listed did not have Google analytics enabled and were therefore not capturing traffic information. As shown, schools had an average of 1.7 visitors per day, who spent an average of 1.88 minutes on the lunch page.
2-72 Exhibit 2-34 School-Level Lunch Webpage Visitors September 4 – November 30, 2018
Unique Unique Pageviews Avg Time School Pageviews per Day on Page Alberta Smith ES 207 2.4 0:01:05 Bailey Bridge MS 6 0.1 0:00:20 Bellwood ES 42 0.5 0:00:33 Bensley ES 60 0.7 0:01:14 Beulah ES 183 2.1 0:02:37 Bird HS 4 0.0 0:00:05 Bon Air ES 176 2.0 0:02:01 Carver MS 265 3.0 0:01:32 Chalkley ES 104 1.2 0:01:56 Clover Hill ES 204 2.3 0:01:40 Clover Hill HS 262 3.0 0:01:39 Crestwood ES 157 1.8 0:02:26 Curtis ES 176 2.0 0:01:12 Davis MS 246 2.8 0:02:25 Ecoff ES 230 2.6 0:01:30 Enon ES 123 1.4 0:02:18 Ettrick ES 103 1.2 0:01:50 Evergreen ES 245 2.8 0:01:50 Falling Creek ES 53 0.6 0:01:18 Falling Creek MS 78 0.9 0:02:27 Gates ES 147 1.7 0:02:07 Gordon ES 73 0.8 0:03:52 Grange Hall ES 196 2.3 0:01:55 Greenfield ES 61 0.7 0:01:19 Harrowgate ES 97 1.1 0:01:20 Hening ES 123 1.4 0:01:37 Hopkins ES 46 0.5 0:01:39 Jacobs ES 163 1.9 0:02:11 Manchester HS 217 2.5 0:01:35 Manchester MS 164 1.9 0:02:35 Marguerite Christian ES 97 1.1 0:03:19 Matoaca ES 107 1.2 0:02:41 Matoaca HS 229 2.6 0:01:24 Matoaca MS 120 1.4 0:02:10 Meadow HS 233 2.7 0:01:19 Midlothain HS 376 4.3 0:01:14 Midlothain MS 208 2.4 0:01:34 Monacan HS 173 2.0 0:01:20 Providence ES 73 0.8 0:01:16 Providence MS 132 1.5 0:02:19 Reams Road ES 901 10.4 0:02:51 Robious ES 162 1.9 0:01:26
2-73 Unique Unique Pageviews Avg Time School Pageviews per Day on Page Robious MS 157 1.8 0:01:28 Salem ES 3 0.0 0 Salem MS 91 1.0 0:01:39 Scott ES 136 1.6 0:02:41 Spring Run ES 241 2.8 0:01:52 Swift Creek ES 237 2.7 0:01:54 Thomas Dale HS 30 0.3 0:02:34 Tomahawk Creek MS 10 0.1 0:00:43 Watkins ES 17 0.2 0:05:59 Weaver ES 5 0.1 0:03:47 Wells ES 10 0.1 0:01:03 Winterpock ES 6 0.1 0:01:12 Woolridge ES 11 0.1 0:03:26 Average 145 1.7 0:01:53 Source: CCPS IT Department, December 2018
At the time of the onsite review, the link from the various school pages to school meal information was less than ideal – it was too difficult for parents to quickly find out the day’s lunch offerings, for example. Since then, the access points have been improved somewhat. However, daily breakfast and lunch offerings are still not part of the “backpack” area parents mentioned as something they frequent. Currently, the backpack, an icon on the student/staff dashboard page, contains only instructional applications.
Recommendation
Improve easy access to daily menus on the division’s website.
The FNS department should work with the IT department to strategize on better placement for daily menus on the division and school-level webpages. Busy families need an easy way to check what is on the menu for tomorrow – knowing that may tip the scales in favor of purchasing school lunch over bringing a brown bag.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that this be prioritized for rollout at the start of the 2019-20 school year.
Finding 40
The department has not assessed the impact of Nutrislice on its program. The department is not tracking how frequently the online menu program is being accessed.
The Nutrislice menus are accessible from the FNS webpage and, ultimately, from links on school-level pages. Once a parent or student reaches the Nutrislice entrance screen
2-74 (Exhibit 2-35), they can navigate to their school and then review the menu for any number of days (Exhibit 2-36).
Exhibit 2-35 CCPS Entrance Screen to Nutrislice
Source: CCPS, 2019
Exhibit 2-36 Sample of a CCPS Nutrislice Menu
Source: CCPS, 2019
2-75 While the Nutrislice application provides current menus and complete nutritional information, department leaders have not attempted to determine whether Nutrislice data and website content is affecting participation. No one in the department has reviewed website traffic data to determine whether Nutrislice is being used. Because the application links to a site hosted outside the CCPS website, the CCPS IT department cannot collect data on web traffic.
Recommendation
Request website hit statistics for the Nutrislice portion of the website from Nutrislice on a quarterly basis.
The department should request that Nutrislice provide data on website traffic on at least a quarterly basis. The department should then use those data to determine whether continued use of the Nutrislice web application is justified.
Fiscal Impact
This recommendation can be implemented with existing resources.
Recommended Timeline
The consulting team recommends that the department make the request of Nutrislice before the end of the 2018-19 school year, with reporting to begin in the 2019-20 school year.
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