As districts in Kentucky look forward to the start of the 2020-2021 school year, food service staff need to begin planning for necessary adjustments to food service. Multiple scenarios are being considered for the upcoming school year. There have been many questions about how best to accomplish this amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the unknown…

COVID-19 presents novel and unprecedented challenges to our society. The pandemic is placing our economic system, our system of government and every sector and area of human life under great stress, and forcing us to raise to the challenge in new ways. Education is no exception. Educating students, ensuring they make progress, and safeguarding…

Concerns about the new coronavirus, with the consequent school closures and with significant economic fallout, are having profound effects on the public education landscape, from how educators deliver instruction to the amount of revenue available for operating schools. Produced by WestEd as part of a collection of Crisis Response Resources, this…

Concerns about the new coronavirus are having profound effects on the public education landscape, from how educators deliver instruction to the amount of revenue available for operating schools. The full fiscal effect of school closures and of the country's broader economic downturn is not yet known, but predictions are distressing. More than…

AASA, The School Superintendents Association, is committed to supporting superintendents and other school district leaders throughout the country during this challenging and unprecedented time. The following report presents a synthesis of the Guidelines for Reopening Schools recommended by superintendents throughout the United States as part of an…

Suggests that menu planning is the key to getting maximum nutrition in day care meals and snacks for minimum cost. Explores United States Department of Agriculture food pyramid guidelines for children and tips for planning menus and grocery shopping. Includes suggested meal patterns and portion sizes. (HTH)

While a number of excellent campus climate planning resources are available, this guide attempts to fill a gap by providing an abundance of "how-to" information. The goal of the guide is to assist climate action planning teams at schools that are well versed in campus climate issues and well along in the CAP (Climate Action Planning) process as…

To align their financing strategies and fundraising efforts with their fiscal needs, charter school leaders need to know how much funding they need and what that funding will support. This cost estimation tool offers a simple set of worksheets to help start-up charter school operators identify and estimate the range of costs and timing of…

A program produced by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory uses a combination of 8mm color-sound films and printed materials to train school food personnel. (MLF)

Menu alternatives are substitute meals, whereas menu additions are dishes that complement the main meal. Both should be vegetarian dishes that are less expensive than the main offering and attractive to 20-40% of the camp population. By offering alternatives and additions, one can eliminate complaints, save money, and change eating patterns.…

Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia, runs a food service operation responsible for serving 100,000 student lunches at 179 school locations each day. In addition, meals are provided by contractual agreement to day care centers and private schools. The budget process is explained and illustrated with a chart. (MLF)

"The Food-Safe School Needs Assessment and Planning Guide" is a tool that can help schools assess their food safety policies, procedures, and programs and develop plans for improvement. This tool includes a simple, straightforward questionnaire, score card, and planning guide that give administrators, school staff, families, and students a chance…

The goal of the Offer Versus Serve (OVS) option in the Healthy School Meals Initiative is to minimize plate waste and to encourage more food choices in school meal programs. This manual was designed for child nutrition programs as a tool in helping them meet the Healthy School Meals Initiative, in particular to assist them in identifying a…

To offset federal subsidy cutbacks, climbing food costs, and increasing wage demands, a Missouri school district hired a food management company. The district not only saved money, but also realized a profit, served more nutritious meals, needed less in-house recordkeeping, and concentrated more energy on education. (MLH)

The best way to purchase food-service equipment for a new or renovated school is to assemble a team, assess the school's needs, see what is available, follow state and federal procurement guidelines, install the equipment, and train employees to use it safely. A sidebar outlines procurement tips. (MLH)