OPERATIONS
This chapter reviews the Veribest Independent School District's (VISD) operations functions and includes the following sections:
- A. Facilities Use and Management
- B. Computers and Technology
- C. Transportation
- D. Food Services
- Part 1
- Part 2
D. FOOD SERVICES (PART 1)
Public schools should provide students with appealing and nutritional breakfasts and lunches as economically as possible. Nutritional food choices are critical to the success of any school district's nutrition services program because research has linked good dietary habits to high academic performance.
Nutrition services is a field undergoing constant change due to evolving federal, state and local regulatory processes; advances in technology; demographic changes; societal and community expectations; new food product availability; participation in federal food commodities programs; strategies to maintain or increase the number of students engaged in educational processes; competition from vending and other food venues on school premises; "open" or "closed" lunch periods in high schools; and the changing needs and tastes of students as both food consumers and customers.
The U.S. Congress authorized the National School Lunch Program in 1946 to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation's school children and to encourage the domestic consumption of agricultural products. The food service program is funded through a combination of federal subsidies for students from low-income families and the personal contribution of students who are able to pay. The federal government also provides schools with surplus food products through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The Texas School Food Service Association (TSFSA) has identified 10 standards of excellence for evaluating TSFSA programs. TSFSA states that effective programs should:
- Identify and meet current and future needs through organization, planning, direction and control;
- Maintain financial accountability through established procedures;
- Meet the nutritional needs of students and promote the development of sound nutritional practices;
- Ensure that procurement practices meet established standards;
- Provide appetizing, nutritious meals through effective, efficient systems management;
- Maintain a safe and sanitary environment;
- Encourage student participation in food service programs;
- Provide an environment that enhances employee productivity, growth, development and morale;
- Promote a positive image to the public; and
- Measure success in fulfilling regulatory requirements.
VISD has one cafeteria that serves both elementary and high school students. A cafeteria supervisor manages the cafeteria with the help of three cafeteria workers. Exhibit 4-15 shows the organizational structure of VISD's cafeteria operations.
Exhibit 4-15 Source: VISD business office, April 2001.
VISD's Food Services
Organizational Structure 2000
The cafeteria supervisor is responsible for planning all of the menus, placing food orders and collecting meal payments from students and staff each day. The supervisor also oversees the daily preparation and serving of meals and prepares daily food sales reports. Every month the district is required to transmit a basic claim report to TEA. The cafeteria supervisor prepares and submits this report with assistance from the superintendent's administrative assistant.
The cafeteria serves food during ten periods each day beginning at 10:50 a.m. for pre-kindergarten children and ending with the high school students at 12:35 p.m. The cafeteria serves a variety of breakfast and lunch items and alternates convenience items such as frozen pizza, chicken fried steak and cheeseburgers with items prepared from scratch such as fajitas, barbeque chicken and chili. Exhibit 4-16 shows the breakdown of meal prices for breakfast and lunch.
Exhibit 4-16 Source: VISD cafeteria supervisor, April 2001.
VISD Meal Prices for 2000-2001
Regular Priced Meals Reduced-Price Meals Break fast K-6 $0.90 $0.30 7-12 $0.90 $0.30 Adult $1.00 N/A Lunch K-6 $1.00 $0.40 7-12 $1.25 $.40 Adult $2.00 N/A VISD participates in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. Exhibit 4-17 shows the free and reduced-price percentages for Veribest ISD and its peer districts. As this exhibit shows, VISD, at a rate of 30.5 percent, has the lowest percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price meals among its peer districts. VISD's percentage is also below the state average of 49.2 percent. The federal government reimburses the district based on student participation rates.
Exhibit 4-17 Source: TEA, Child Nutrition Programs.
Comparison of VISD Free and Reduced-Price
Percentages to Peer Districts
District Percent Free
and Reduced-PriceVeribest ISD 30.5% Panther Creek ISD 37.8% Coolidge ISD 72.1% Novice ISD 75.5% State Average 49.2% Exhibit 4-18 shows the reimbursement rate per meal from the federal free and reduced-price program
Exhibit 4-18 Source: TEA.
Free and Reduced-Price Program
Reimbursement Rates
2000-01
Meal Type Reimbursement Rate Reimbursable Lunch Full Price: $0.19
Reduced Price: $1.62
Free: $2.02Reimbursable Breakfast Full Price: $0.21
Reduced-Price: $0.82
Free: $1.12Reduced-Price Meals Maximum Available Lunch: $0.40
Breakfast $0.30Exhibit 4-19 shows VISD's average daily participation rate for breakfast and lunch for the last three years. Participation rate is the average number of daily student meals served expressed as a percentage of average daily attendance.
Exhibit 4-19 Source: TEA, Child Nutrition Programs.
Average Daily Participation Rates
for VISD Cafeteria Operations
1999-2001
1998-1999 1999-2000 2000-2001* Breakfast Lunch Breakfast Lunch Breakfast Lunch 31.1% 83.1% 25.4% 77.2% 28.5% 79.4% *Includes the months of September through March Exhibit 4-20 compares VISD cafeteria staffing to that of its peer districts. VISD has the second lowest staff-to-student ratio.
Exhibit 4-20 Source: Telephone survey of peer districts, May, 2001. * Does not include RKR students.
Cafeteria to Student Staffing Ratio
for VISD and Peer Districts
District Number of
StudentsNumber of
Full-time EmployeesNumber of
Part-time EmployeesTotal Number of
EmployeesRatio of Students
to EmployeesCoolidge ISD 265 3 1 3.5 75.7:1 Novice ISD 101 2 0 2 50.0:1 Panther Creek ISD 213 3 0 3 71.0:1 Veribest ISD 231* 4 0 4 57.8:1 Water Valley ISD 347 4 0 4 86.8:1 Exhibit 4-21 shows the results of VISD's cafeteria operations for the years ending August 31, 1998, 1999 and 2000. As this exhibit shows, the cafeteria has had deficits of $23,154, $2,848, and $16,986 for the years ending 1998, 1999 and 2000, respectively. In each of these years the district had to make transfers from the general fund to cover the operating shortfalls. This exhibit also shows that personnel expenses for the year ending August 31, 2000 were over $26,000 over budget.
Exhibit 4-21 Source: Financial report of VISD for the years indicated.
VISD's Cafeteria Statement of Revenue and Expenditures
1998 through 2000
For Year Ending August 31, 2000 For Years Ending August 31, 1998, 1999 Budget Actual Variance Favorable (Unfavorable) Amount Change 1999-2000 Amount Change 1998-1999 1999 Actual 1998
ActualREVENUES Local and Intermediate Sources - - - $- ($17,700) - $17,700 Other Local and Intermediate Sources 22,000 30,146 8,146 4,392 25,754 25,754 - Total Local and Intermediate Sources 22,000 30,146 8,146 4,392 8,054 25,754 17,700 State Program Revenues - 1,069 1,069 125 40 944 904 Federal Program Revenues 41,000 41,403 403 (1,667) 6,401 43,070 36,669 Total Revenues $63,000 $72,618 $9,618 $2,850 $14,495 $69,768 $55,273 EXPENDITURES Support Services 63,000 89,604 (26,604) 16,988 (5,811) 72,616 78,427 Total Expenditures $63,000 $89,604 ($26,604) $16,988 ($5,811) $72,616 $78,427 Excess (Deficiency) of Revenues Over (Under) Expenditures - (16,986) (16,986) (14,138) 20,306 (2,848) (23,154) Other Resources - 16,986 16,986 14,138 (20,306) 2,848 23,154 Excess (Deficiency) of Revenues & Other Resources Over (Under) Expenditures and Other Uses Fund Balance - September 1 (Beginning) $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 Fund Balance - August 31 (Ending) $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0 The district shows no fund balance because the amount shown in other resources is the amount of the deficit each year that must be covered by the district's general fund. As a part of this review, TSPR conducted confidential surveys of parents, students and teachers. Exhibits 4-22 through 4-24 contain excerpts from the TSPR survey responses regarding VISD's cafeteria operations.
Exhibit 4-22 shows parents' responses to the survey. Of the parents responding, over 78 percent said their child or children regularly eat in the cafeteria. Parents rated the cafeteria operations favorably in some areas, responding that in general children have enough time to eat, that they eat lunch at the appropriate time of day, and that the district maintains discipline and order in the cafeteria. However, over 58 percent of parents said that they disagreed with the statement that cafeteria food looks and tastes good.
Exhibit 4-22 Source: TSPR Survey responses for VISD, April 2001. * Rounded off percentages may not add to 100 percent.
Parent Survey Responses for
VISD's Cafeteria Operations*
Survey Questions Strongly Agree Agree No Opinion Disagree Strongly Disagree My child regularly purchases his/her meal from the cafeteria. 29.2% 49.2% 4.6% 7.7% 9.2% The school breakfast program is available to all children. 29.2% 60.0% 10.8% 0.0% 0.0% The cafeteria's food looks and tastes good. 6.2% 21.5% 13.8% 26.2% 32.3% Food is served warm. 6.2% 38.5% 9.2% 24.6% 21.5% Students have enough time to eat. 7.7% 35.4% 7.7% 27.7% 21.5% Students eat lunch at the appropriate time of day. 9.2% 50.8% 12.3% 26.2% 1.5% Students wait in food lines no longer than 10 minutes. 9.2% 47.7% 16.9% 16.9% 9.2% Discipline and order are maintained in the school cafeteria. 16.9% 70.8% 4.6% 7.7% 0.0% Survey responses from students and teachers differed slightly from the responses from parents. Exhibit 4-23 shows that 100 percent of students disagreed with the statement about the cafeteria's food looks and tastes good.
Exhibit 4-23 Source: TSPR Survey responses for VISD, April 2001.
Student Survey Responses for
VISD's Cafeteria Operations
Survey Questions Strongly Agree Agree No Opinion Disagree Strongly Disagree The school breakfast program is available to all children. 50.0% 50.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% The cafeteria's food looks and tastes good. 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 25.0% 75.0% Food is served warm. 0.0% 25.0% 25.0% 50.0% 0.0% Students have enough time to eat. 25.0% 25.0% 0.0% 0.0% 50.0% Students eat lunch at the appropriate time of day. 25.0% 75.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Students wait in food lines no longer than 10 minutes. 0.0% 25.0% 0.0% 50.0% 25.0% Discipline and order are maintained in the school cafeteria. 25.0% 75.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Cafeteria staff is helpful and friendly. 0.0% 75.0% 0.0% 25.0% 0.0% Cafeteria facilities are sanitary and neat. 0.0% 25.0% 25.0% 50.0% 0.0% Exhibit 4-24 shows that almost 64 percent of teachers surveyed disagreed with the statement that the cafeteria's food looks and tastes good.
Exhibit 4-24 Source: TSPR Survey responses for VISD, April 2001. * Rounded off percentages may not add to 100 percent.
Teacher Survey Responses for
VISD's Cafeteria Operations*
Survey Questions Strongly Agree Agree No Opinion Disagree Strongly Disagree The cafeteria's food looks and tastes good. 0.0% 9.1% 27.3% 36.4% 27.3% Food is served warm. 0.0% 54.5% 9.1% 18.2% 18.2% Students eat lunch at the appropriate time of day. 9.1% 81.8% 0.0% 0.0% 9.1% Students wait in food lines no longer than 10 minutes 0.0% 54.5% 18.2% 18.2% 9.1% Discipline and order are maintained in the school cafeteria. 18.2% 54.5% 9.1% 9.1% 9.1% Cafeteria staff is helpful and friendly. 0.0% 54.5% 18.2% 9.1% 18.2% Cafeteria facilities are sanitary and neat. 0.0% 72.7% 0.0% 9.1% 18.2% Fifty percent of students responding stated that they thought students did not have enough time to eat, and 36 percent of teacher surveys disagreed with the statement that the food is served warm.
FINDING
VISD does not use any performance measures or other assessment tools to evaluate its cafeteria operations. As the table in Exhibit 4-21 shows, VISD's cafeteria is not a self-supporting operation, with the August 31, 2000 deficit amounting to almost $17,000. Without performance measures the district will not be able to address the deficit problems with the cafeteria's operations.
School cafeterias can use several measures to evaluate their effectiveness and to identify ways to provide better services and reduce costs. Some of these measures include meals per labor hour (MPLH), percentage of food spoilage or waste, and inventory turnover rates.
Meals Per Labor Hour (MPLH) is a standard performance measure of efficiency for school districts, hospitals, restaurants and other food service operations. MPLH is the number of meal equivalents served in a given period of time divided by the total hours worked during that period. TEA does not set standards for meal equivalents for school districts, allowing schools to set their own meal equivalent rates. Exhibit 4-25 shows a chart of MPLH guidelines as established by Josephine Martin and Martha T. Conklin in their book Managing Food Services Programs: Leadership for Excellence.
Exhibit 4-25 Source: Managing Food Services Programs: Leadership for Excellence by Josephine Martin and Martha T. Conklin, 1999.
Recommended Meals Per Labor Hour (MPLH)
Number of Meal Equivalents Meals Per Labor Hour (MPLH) Conventional System Convenience System Low/High Low/High Up to 100 8/10 10/12 101-150 9/11 11/13 151-200 10-11/12 12/14 251-300 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+ 19/21 22/23 Exhibit 4-25 shows standard MPLH guidelines for both convenience and conventional kitchens. Convenience kitchens are those that primarily use pre-prepared and frozen food items. Conventional kitchens are those that primarily prepare their menu items from scratch. In reality, most kitchens use a combination of the two systems. An analysis of VISD's menus for the month of March 2001 showed that cafeteria staff prepared 75 percent of lunch menu items and 87.5 percent of breakfast menu items through convenience methods.
Monitoring food spoilage, waste factors and inventory turnover rates help food service operations reduce food costs. Cafeterias can reduce or eliminate spoilage and waste by carefully monitoring the amounts of food needed and changing ordering patterns to adjust to changes in cafeteria operations such as student preference and the occurrence of special events. By monitoring inventory turnover rates, the cafeteria manager can further detect food waste or theft.
The district is not a member of a food service organization nor is the cafeteria supervisor attending training classes and conferences. The Texas School Food Service Association (TSFSA) provides training opportunities throughout the year in various cities across the state.
Recommendation 45:
Establish evaluation measures and track data to analyze cafeteria operations.
Tracking data so that it can determine measures such as meals per labor hour will help the cafeteria to become more productive and self sufficient.
Resources available to the district include the texts School Food Service Management by Dorothy Pannell and Managing Child Nutrition Programs: Leadership for Excellence by Josephine Martin and Martha T. Conklin. Other resources include the Texas School Food Service Association(TSFSA), the American School Food Service Association and the National Food Service Management Institute. These organizations can provide the district with information and instruction on how to manage and evaluate its food service operations.
The district should join a food service organization and send the cafeteria supervisor to training classes and conferences. TSFSA holds classes throughout the year in various cities across the state.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES AND TIMELINE
1. The superintendent obtains membership for the cafeteria supervisor in one of the school food service organizations. October 2001 2. The superintendent develops a set of measurement criteria to be used to evaluate food services operations. October 2001 3. The superintendent and the cafeteria manager collect and analyze data to evaluate cafeteria operations. November 2001 and monthly thereafter 4. The superintendent and the cafeteria manager make changes in the cafeteria program based on the results of the data analysis. As necessary 5. The superintendent reviews the TSFSA schedule and selects classes in the San Angelo area. As necessary 6. The cafeteria supervisor attends conferences and classes. As necessary FISCAL IMPACT
Annual membership in the TSFSA costs $30, and class prices range from $20 to $50 for members. The costs of food service texts range from $20 to $40.
For purposes of this estimate, $60 is set aside for one-time purchasing of texts, and $80 is budgeted for TSFSA membership and training annually.
Recommendation 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 Purchase food service texts ($60) $0 $0 $0 $0 Annual TSFSA membership and classes ($80) ($80) ($80) ($80) ($80) Net (Cost)/Savings ($140) ($80) ($80) ($80) ($80)