Contact Information: Ann Cooper ʹ 631-697-0844 ʹ [email protected]537 46th St Oakland, CA 94609 Beth Collins ʹ 231-633-0958 ʹ [email protected]2013 E. Front Street Traverse City, MI 49686 Lunch Lessons LLC BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study Final Report October 28, 2008
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Contact Information
Ann Cooper に 631-697-0844 に annlunchlessonsorg 537 46th St
Oakland CA 94609
Beth Collins に 231-633-0958 に bethlocalplatescom 2013 E Front Street
Traverse City MI 49686
Lunch Lessons LLC
BVSD Nutrition
Services Feasibility
Study Final Report Ȃ October 28 2008
2 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Figure 12ぐぐぐぐぐくRecipe for Success Staff Trainingぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐ15
4 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Figure 1 Garden at Bear Creek Elementary
5 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction
さIa ラ ヴW エデ ラ Wデが デエWミ Iげマ aゲデが IエWヮ ミS Wゲくざ
When Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame ゲ デエデ ノキミW ラミ HマヮWヴ ゲデキIニWヴが ゲエW ラミSWヴWSが さIゲ デエキゲ ヴWノノ エデ W ミデ デエW SWゲデキミ ラa ラヴ ミデキラミ デラ HWいざ
Why did BVSD decide to take a look at its Nutrition Services practices at this particular point in time
School districts are at a confluence in our nationげゲ SWHデW Hラデ デエW ゲデデW ラa ラヴ childrenげゲ エWノデエ ミS the districtげs role as the incubator for change CエキノSヴWミげゲ health or lack thereof is deemed a hot topic
along with their math and reading skills It is no longer assumed that our children will live long healthy
and productive lives School nutrition is now seen as an avenue of opportunity to push back the wave of
obesity type 2 Diabetes and high blood pressure that threaten our future communities Schools are
also the location of a key social justice pivot point where those with the fewest resources are most
reliant on the institutional system many of us with more resources take for granted
The quest to offer an equitable education includes another basic need of human civilization に food In
デエW BラノSWヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW キミWケキデ ラa デエW さゲミIニ ノキミWざ aラヴIWS ミ ラWヴエノ デラ エデ キゲ ニミラミ ゲ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴざ キミ デエW IaWデWヴキ ノキミWが Hデ デエW WデエキIゲ ラa ミデヴキデキラミ ミS エWノデエ ヴW ゲデキノノ ラWヴIラマW H デエW WIラミラマキIゲ ラa the lunchroom those with more monW キミ デエWキヴ ヮラIニWデゲ ミS aラIゲ ラミ さHヴミSingざ デhat belies the better
intention of Nutrition Services
Schools are where our children spend two thirds of their day They learn many things and create and
practice many habits The habit of grabbing and going versus food flavors and dining is a practice BVSD
is reexamining Food touches every one of us and is often the single common experience that can bring
people together at a table に not to share a bag of Hot Cheetos and a Gatorade but real whole foods -
food with a place a face and traditions This is a goal that is not beyond the reach of the Boulder Valley
School District
Figure 2 Harvest Bar at Creeekside Elementary
6 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
The Plan - Year One Departmental Reorganization
Step One Wellness Policy ʹ Mission Vision Commitment Implementation Critical to the success of any project the parameters of the vision act as a guide to the daily practices In
2006 like all districts receiving federal funds Boulder put in place a wellness policy The policy in
Boulder is well intentioned but does not have enough specifics to really define how practices in the
district will change respond or evaluate progress toward the goals laid out in the policy 1
As a first step prior to changes the district decides to make as a result of this study revisiting all policies
related to wellness and food is imperative Defining the broad brushstrokes of current policy with
clearer finite goals as they relate to nutrition instruction and physical activity will assist and inspire
change2 Coming together as a community to define a more unified vision will help launch the education
needed to garner support not only for the policy but for the practices needed to enact it
Step Two Organizational Chart ʹ Redefining Departmental Structure as a Path to Change Current Organization
Aゲ SキゲデヴキIデ ラa ヲΒがヰヰヰ ゲデSWミデゲ IラWヴキミェ Α マミキIキヮノキデキWゲ キデエキミ Wヴ ノヴェW ェWラェヴヮエキI ヴW BラノSWヴげゲ NSD has carried an organizational structure (fig 3) utilizing a site based management model overseen
from the district main office Direct supervision of the 22 production site managers and the NSD staff of
150 is limited as the office based team of five including one year round employee are busy managing a
$6 million dollar fund
Opportunities for growth in participation improvement in the ingredients quality of preparation and
service is extremely limited with a departmental structure that lacks enough support at the top as well
as enough managerial tools and skill sets to build momentum in a department which touches every child
in the district
1 Wellness Policy and Healthy Activities Guideline httpbvsdorgpoliciesPoliciesADFpdf
Healthy Food Guidelines httpbvsdorgpoliciespoliciesEFA-Rpdf 2 Center for Ecoliteracy Model Wellness Policy Guide httpwwwecoliteracyorgprogramswellness_policyhtml
and on file at Business Services Office
7 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Current Organizational Structure
Figure 3 Current Organizational Structure
Proposed Organization
Within the proposed organizational structure (fig 4) the key elements that will create enough support
and accountability to enact growth are
Year Round Staff
Increasing year round administrative team members to seven including the director assistant
director executive chef procurement manager procurement assistant and two office staff will
create a seamless department capable of planning for and capitalizing on future growth in meal
participation and year round services
Job Descriptions and Categories of Responsibility
Iミ ヴWラヴェミキキミェ SWヮヴデマWミデノ ゲデヴIデヴW キデげゲ ミWIWゲゲヴ デラ ヴWキゲキデ デエW ゲニキノノゲ ミWWSWS デラ ラヮWヴデW デエW SWヮヴデマWミデく Tエキゲ ヴWヮラヴデげゲ マラSWノ キゲ ミamelessfaceless organizational plan which asks that the
district view its goals through the lens of system implementation first and then consider the skill
sets it has at hand to populate this view
Procurement
In looking toward a central kitchen model bringing procurement receiving inventory
management and transportation under the oversight of the NSD with the appropriate skill sets is
the most efficient way to maintain accountability and transparency within the system The
current system which carries a combination of independent ordering overlaid with some system
wide ordering inherently has many opportunities for loss Implementing true perpetual
CFO
NS
Director
Sup ervisor
Training
Sup ervisor
HR
Sup ervisor
Menu
Office
Purch as ing
Office Famp
R
8
Produ ction
Sites
6
Produ ction
Sites
8
Produ ction
Sites
11 Satillite
Sites
10 Satillite
Sites
2 Satillite
Sites
W areho useAccoun ting
8 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
inventory will bring accountability and cost controls to the department that are essential as it
moves to a more complex model of food service Procurement in a model emphasizing
regionally based foods requires building many new relationships and creative distribution
models to optimize the creation of a true local procurement system
Field Supervision
The current model has supervisors covering so many office based duties that their field
supervision in some cases becomes secondary Supervisors subbing on sites have been
commonplace until this year Concurrently the productionsatellite sites are also at a loss to
combine their on-site management with oversight of their satellite kitchens
In the regional and central kitchen model where the type and style of service will change so
dramatically field supervision is the key to maintaining consistency of product and services
through a time of change During the regional kitchen phase the field supervisors will be housed
out in the district and be able to respond to issues both in the kitchens and to the schoolゲげ needs
while maintaining a direct link of communication with the main office
Reporting Structure and Accounting Link
This model requires the NS Director to have a direct report to the CFO and a communication link
with the Superintendent The far reaching impact of this department and the potential
opportunity it has creating equitable nutrition services district wide requires a clear unfettered
line of communication
The Accounting Department has been assisting the NSD to understand their budget model The
study team recommends this valuable accounting specific position not be moved directly into
the NSD but remain as a liaison position housed in the Business Services Department with a
direct report to the NS Director and the CFO
9 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Proposed Organizational Structure
Figure 4 Proposed Organizational Structure
Step Three Budget Model Development3
Operational Cost Support ʹ Expenses and Revenues
In program change of this scale operational support is critical to building the system needed to
create a sustainable model which will meet the goals of the district At current levels district
wide participation in the school meal program is at 26 To change this paradigm of mediocre
participation and poor quality meals the percentages in the budget will swing over a 3 to 4 year
period until the finalized system is up and running for at least a year Critical to sustainable
change is staff training The budget will carry a higher percentage annually for training in the
first three years Exploring the cost of school meals in Boulder Valley is important because
though BVSD raised meal prices for 2008-2009 they have not raised the quality of the actual
ingredients
3 Proposed 09-10 Budget with Comparison - Electronic Attachment to Report
Communication LinkCFO
Sup erin tenden t
NS
Directo r
Ass it
Director
Procu rement
Manager
Executive
Chef
Field
Sup ervisors
Office
F amp R
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Procu rement
Ass is tantStock
Han dlers
Drivers
Stock
Exec
Ass is tant
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Office
Gen eral
Office
Payro ll
10 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
In the implementation of a meal program based on whole foods the weight of responsibility
shifts from offering as many items as the さmini-martゲざ at the Middle or High Schools can handle
to simply preparing and offering real delicious food In implementation of program change
food cost per school meal will rise and food cost and variety of a la carte items will decrease
(fig 5)
Currently food cost of school meals as a percentage of revenue is approximately 38 while food
cost for the a la carte items is 64 The average cost of food for a school meal in BVSD is $100
In the proposed model food cost per meal will be based on $140 Spending the least amount
possible on the ingredients is not the goal Creating meals that look and taste appetizing and
shifting away from the perspective that a la carte is both profitable and necessary is the
direction Boulder needs to headく CノWヴノ デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マWノゲ マニW ヮ デエW ノキラミげゲ ゲエヴW ラa meal revenue and with focus and attention that will continue to increase
The net gain in a la carte is too low to justify the many costs of it in terms of labor and
procurement systems More importantly this focus of salesmanship as a primary component to
the school day simply is not compatible in an educational environment The presumption is that
a la IヴデW さHa laミIWゲ デエW HSェWデざが Hデ キデ エゲ aキノWS デラ Sラ デエデ IラミゲキゲデWミデノ aラヴ ノラミェ デキマW ミS デエW さcostsざ are now to the culture of the children we are educating in this environment
Figure 5 Food Cost as Compared to Percentage of Meal Revenue
Standards of Evaluation ʹ Meals per Labor Hour
In the current model the formula for Meals per Labor Hour (MLPH) has contributed to the assumption
that a la IヴデW キゲ キミIヴWゲキミェ ヴWWミW H ゲWノノキミェ マラヴW さマWノゲざ (fig 6) This assumption depends upon the
number of students served エラWWヴ さマWノ WケキノWミデざ キミ デエW IヴヴWミデ aラヴマノ aラヴ a la carte is $250
At the middle and high school level where a la carte is a predominant theme $250 reflects more of a
snack purchase than a meal In recurrent observations students routinely spent in excess of $5 on a
variety of junk food Unfortunately the potential to create a reimbursable meal within the parameters
of the a la carte choices exists but the emphasis is not on students obtaining a ba lanced nutritious and
high quality meal it is on spending money Due to the costs of the a la carte program the revenue
simply does not justify the さcostsざ In examining the actual volume of students moving through the
ノキミWゲが キデげゲ WゲデキマデWS デエデ マWノ WケキノWミデ ラa マラヴW than $350 is purchased by 42 of the students
purchasing a la carte with an average sale being closer to $500
Using meals per labor hour as way to evaluate performance is a tricky proposition even more so because
the district has lumped the satellite site sales with the production sites sales without really taking into
account that the primary contribution of the production site to the satellite has been storage as so little
11 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
cooking actually happens in advance of a meal In the a la carte model the costs are attributed more to
managing the inventory than to cooking When examining the performance of the satellite sites alone
they are some of the most productive sites in the district usually working with the least skilled staff
fewest hours and poorest facilities (fig 7 8)
Figure 6 Current MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue allocated to Production Only meal equivalent value $250
Figure 7 Proposed MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue evaluated independently meal equivalent value $400 HS $150 Elem
Figure 8 Tight Quarters at Whittier Elementary Satellite Site
12 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Accountability and Transparency Through Seamless Reporting
Use of the variety of software available to the NSD is critical to efficiency in this multi unit meal
program Several key components will need to be implemented to maximize efficiency and
transparency in reporting as follows
1 Full implementation of VBOSS as the primary inventory based food service management tool for
all facets of NSD program
2 LキミニェW ラa VBOldquoldquo Sデ デラ Lゲラミ デ デエW さヮラゲデWS キミラキIWざ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW Iエキミ ラa マラWマWミデ aヴラマ order to receiving Accounting and IT have agreed this is a possible solution and change to a
planned linkage earlier in the flow of records which would not have allowed NSD to use VBOSS
to its full potential
3 Further exploration of long term cost effectiveness of DBS Point of Sale program as the primary
tool for on-site sales and records for State and Federal review Use of VBOSS for POS would
expand the transparency of the movement of purchased and produced goods from warehouse
to central kitchen to student but further review is needed
4 Implementation of a fully cashless system at all grade levels
The continued implementation of POS systems throughout federally funded school districts is a
direct response to the inequity of federally funded free and reduced meal recipients being
キSWミデキaキWS キミ デエW ノミIエヴララマく Cラママラミ デラ デエキゲ ヮヴIデキIW キゲ ゲWヮヴデW さaヴWW マWノざ ノキミWく Tエラェエ Boulder has moved to a blended line as well as a POS style service its willingness to continue to
accept cash particularly at Middle and High School operations highlights and enlarges the still
obvious inequity of dining in the Boulder Valley School District In addition the labor and
potential loss in the burden of managing a cash operation can be immediately eliminated by
only accepting money for account funding に and even then it does not have to happen during
meals which slows down the line
5 Implementation of electronic time clocks linked directly to Lawson which will eliminate the
paper trails currently in use and create a more efficient interface with which to manage large
hourly staff in the department second only to transportation as far as size in the district
6 Tracking of reimbursable meal costs as a separate category from a la carte meal costs
13 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Step Four Food and Menu
Figure 9 Examples of A la Carte a School Meal and Menu Meal Components in Boulder Valley
Figure 10 Scratch Middle School Lunch California Figure 11 Scratch Elementary Lunch Michigan
Aゲ ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ ゲデS デエW さゲラSキマ ゲラヮゲざ エW HWWミ ヴWマラWS aヴラマ BVldquoD ゲIエララノゲ but the process
that led BVSD to the model it has now に primarily industrially grown and processed foods に reflects the
trends of the last 25 years a reduction of investment in personnel training and ingredients (fig 9)
To change this paradigm BVSD as a community will have to fully support and be passionate about the
opportunity and future of real food (fig 10 11) otherwise the investment in change is lost before it has
begun
In year one the focus in food change will be to improve the ingredients in the reimbursable meal
program and simplify and improve the ingredient content of a la carte foods offered for sale Goals for
ingredient content must be more innovative than the simple 351035 formula that the USDA offers
school districts as their barラマWデWヴ デラ WノデW デエW ノデWゲデ ゲミIニ aララSく さldquoミIニざ エキIエ エゲ ノラミェ エキゲデラヴ キミ BラノSWヴ ミWWSゲ デラ マラヴヮエ キミデラ さマWノがざ and the guidelines on what constitutes food will change from
ingredient listings with ヵヰ キデWマゲ W Iミげデ キSWミデキa デラ WキデエWヴ aララSゲ W ニミラ H ゲight or packaged foods
with ingredients we can easily identify
Use of commodity entitlement funds are a key component of the cost structure in school meals though
さa necessary eviノざ would be the way our study team would describe the commodity entitlement
program Until federal policy shifts on the use and content of commodity entitlement foods we
14 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
ヴWIラママWミS aラIゲキミェ ラミ デエW ノWゲデ さSマェキミェざ キデWマゲ キミ デエW Iラママラdity list avoiding processing and
choosing brown box and raw items
Improvement and implementation of sa lad bars in all elementary and middle schools will be the most
direct and expedient improvement we can make to the overall meal program in year one Facility
improvement and training is critical to this process and shifts will be phased in as the system can
support it
Remove flavored milk from the district Consumption of milk in Boulder is exceptionally high with
annual units sold in excess of 12 million considering the reimbursable meal counts of breakfast and
lunch combined total 132 million meals Flavored milk is driving this volume as its purchase out-
numbers plain milk 4 to 1 Sugar is a powerful draw and the average flavored milk packs an additional
14-16 grams of sugar per serving over plain milk This amounts to 5 to 6 pounds of sugar over the
course of the school year if consumed daily Sugar is the one key ingredient the USDA does not limit in
food product compositions served in American schools Sugared milk simply does not have a place
within innovative program change
Shifting from individually packaged milk to bulk dispensed milk is both efficient and improves the milk
experience as the milk is colder and tastes better The cost savings in bulk dispensing also increases the
possibility of the district being able to afford organic milk
Step Five Facilities Improvements Boulder is fortunate to have kitchens Unfortunately cooking from scratch at all sites is not a practical
or affordable solution Though BVSD has continued to spec and build kitchens for cooking the district
shift to prepackaged food drives those investments to a mute point Very little real food is actually
handled in the district and though it would be fantastic to staff the kitchens with enough people and
In large scale scratch cooking with the goal to provide each child with the same experience leveraging
facilities improvements and personnel into fewer sites is a reasonablW IラマヮヴラマキゲWく Iミ BVldquoDげゲ IゲWが given the current participation and projection that acceptance to real food will take some time cooking
at four regional sites will be possible until a central kitchen facility can be built
To maintain quality food will no longer be transported hot に which though it happens rarely in Boulder
due to the reliance on boxed foods it creates an opportunity for degradation of the food quality (over
cooked) and unsafe transport temperatures A cook and chill bulk operation paired with some cooking
at sites that have enough staff (for example steaming broccoli for service instead of cooking chilling and
reheating broccoli) is a proven method for successful whole foods service where most of the meal is
prepared or prepped at a central site and finished at the satellite as well as the satellite being
responsible for preparation of and maintenance of sa lad bars
In BVSD that means that some sites are over equipped as satellites and some are underequipped For
the most part the underequipped sites fall in the category of the current satellite kitchens4 In addition
4 Site Improvement Overview - Electronic Attachment to Report
15 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
sites that currently have antique equipment sitting under hoods that could be replaced with equipment
like steamers which will enhance the quality of meals are also noted
In year one the critical needs sites will be a priority as well as retro fitting the 4 identified regional
kitchens Louisville Middle School Casey Middle School (when available) Monarch High School and
Fairview High School Changes would be made with an eye toward equipment that could be moved to
the central kitchen when it is built Primary needs are refrigeration dry storage and rapid chilling
equipment
Figure 12 Recipe for Success Staff Training
The Plan - Years Two and Three Ȃ Regional to Central
Marketing and Outreach
The list of challenges presented in year one are great and represent the core of this system change
When considering scratch cooked locally and regionally sourced meals on the scale of a district like
Boulder Valley the efficiency of the system model is critical to enabling a uniform and consistent meal
experience district wide に well prepared excellent ingredients building delicious meal choices In
essence though cooking real food may seem like a gargantuan endeavor the end result is much simpler
in concept than what Boulder Valley has been committed to for a very long time
To maintain the momentum and support for this large scale shift it is imperative that the district actively
commit to Marketing and Outreach which in the language of school food change is simply に education
The Wellness Policy work that will take place as the entry point for this project is the ongoing guide and
measure to successful change Policy that is participated in district wide will inform how the lessons of
wellness that may penetrate curriculum will reinforce and support the activities in the dining rooms
Integrating the educational and equity basis of this change work into the fabric of the district is critical
for the investment in this change to make any sense
16 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Food and Staff
As year two unfolds removal of a la carte and competitive foods will be mirrored by the beginning
implementation of scratch cooked meals The stress of changing habits and implementing new
standards of practice means lots of training and lots of support for the teams working throughout the
district (fig 12)
While the elementary sites may be grappling more with the removal of chicken nuggets the middle
schools and high school students will be facing a very different reality - デエW HゲWミIW ラa デエW さマキミキ-マヴデゲくざ
Staff training focusing on communication and dining room service interface will be very important both
in the first year and continuing as change ramps up
In this model what we remove is being replaced with something we know to be much better even if
there is resistance As the initial months can be extremely challenging for the NSD team on the ground
School and Parental support is critical to successful transition
Facilities and Equipment
In year two we will be continuing the task of updating the schools most in need so that their kitchens
and dining areas are both compatible with the model and not substandard when compared with sites
that have had more updates and attention
The regional sites not having been built as central kitchens will be adjusted also and necessary fixes can
be addressed as they come up but with a central kitchen in view investment in these sites should be
compatible with the larger model
Plans and groundbreaking for a central kitchen early in year two will make it possible to move the
production operations in year three but the heart of this proposal is to give Boulder Valley the time to
move at a pace that is compatible with the available resources and support Because of the layout in the
district and the existing cold storage and warehouse system a central kitchen site in close proximity to
receiving and storage is the most efficient long term solution for the district All the training and
systems that are grown in year two can be transferred to the central kitchen concept in year three or
four so loss of efficiency or redundancy in the process is contained as much as possible
School Support and Schedules
As every administrator knows school schedules are sacred In most districts meal times are treated as a
necessary conditionき デエW エW デラ エヮヮWミが Hデ キデ ラノS HW ェヴWデ キa IエキノSヴWミ SキSミげデ ミWWS aララS ゲゲデWミミIWく Iミ BラノSWヴ VノノW W ニミラ デエWヴWげゲ ゲWIラミSヴ program where that さミラ-ミデヴキWミデゲ ミWWSWSざ dream is
assumed since the high school students affected are not scheduled any time to eat at all
At the elementary level this model should expect to add time for either more meal periods that are
incrementally longer or existing period schedules with more time depending on the volume capacity of
the dining rooms Service lines in almost every elementary school are single lines and if the popularity
of a fresher meal program expands as is hoped more lunch periods that allow for staggering of entry
into the dining room rather than en-mass entrance with a third or half the school population at a time is
key We are aware that there are seating issues now even with very low participation in school meals
17 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
At middle schools with more complex scheduling and students not necessarily moving around their days
in grade blocks more creative stagger schedules may be needed depending on participation levels
At the high schools which possess open campuses the typical routine is not to schedule many meal
periods at all opting for a few blocks of time assuming that not many students will actually attend
High School participation will have to be monitored and scheduling adjusted as needed
The bottom line is that scheduling in a food service model that is undergoing a lot of change needs to be
a part of communication between principals and the NSD office In investing in program change the
district is also investing in culture change and vibrant and dynamic relationships between NSD and the
individual school sites will benefit the district as a whole
Financial Sustainability and Models for Change
If Boulder Valley steps into this change model national attention will be part of the picture and with that
attention the ケWゲデキラミ ラa さエラざ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iミ aaラヴS デラ Sラ デエキゲ ラヴニ キノノ HW Iラミゲデミデ デラヮキI ラa discussion To make the change sustainable will take time to allow for all the facets of the system to be
implemented and mature but throughout this process the NSD will have to continue to bring new
resources to the table
The district is currently not offering any consistent service at the breakfast level despite the fact it has
many employees on site at a majority of schools during the hours needed Understanding the needs and
potential in after school snack programs summer feeding programs and potential-offsite revenue
through catering are all ways to optimize the investment in the food service structure that is available
Yes the NSD needs year round staff to efficiently maintain and grow and that year round work can be
justified as the NSD continues to build resources
Conclusion
Boulder Valley should be commended for even considering making such a huge culture shift and as the
study team we know that Nutrition Services does want to be change-makers but we also know they
cannot do it alone They need the support of the Valley when considering the potential of change We
need to remember that food service workers in schools interact with more of the student body than all
other employees in a school district Lunchrooms can and should be part of the recipe for creating
school environments that nurture children into adults equipped to live long and productive lives and
Boulder has taken a big leap toward entering that groundbreaking arena
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
2 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Figure 12ぐぐぐぐぐくRecipe for Success Staff Trainingぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐ15
4 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Figure 1 Garden at Bear Creek Elementary
5 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction
さIa ラ ヴW エデ ラ Wデが デエWミ Iげマ aゲデが IエWヮ ミS Wゲくざ
When Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame ゲ デエデ ノキミW ラミ HマヮWヴ ゲデキIニWヴが ゲエW ラミSWヴWSが さIゲ デエキゲ ヴWノノ エデ W ミデ デエW SWゲデキミ ラa ラヴ ミデキラミ デラ HWいざ
Why did BVSD decide to take a look at its Nutrition Services practices at this particular point in time
School districts are at a confluence in our nationげゲ SWHデW Hラデ デエW ゲデデW ラa ラヴ childrenげゲ エWノデエ ミS the districtげs role as the incubator for change CエキノSヴWミげゲ health or lack thereof is deemed a hot topic
along with their math and reading skills It is no longer assumed that our children will live long healthy
and productive lives School nutrition is now seen as an avenue of opportunity to push back the wave of
obesity type 2 Diabetes and high blood pressure that threaten our future communities Schools are
also the location of a key social justice pivot point where those with the fewest resources are most
reliant on the institutional system many of us with more resources take for granted
The quest to offer an equitable education includes another basic need of human civilization に food In
デエW BラノSWヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW キミWケキデ ラa デエW さゲミIニ ノキミWざ aラヴIWS ミ ラWヴエノ デラ エデ キゲ ニミラミ ゲ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴざ キミ デエW IaWデWヴキ ノキミWが Hデ デエW WデエキIゲ ラa ミデヴキデキラミ ミS エWノデエ ヴW ゲデキノノ ラWヴIラマW H デエW WIラミラマキIゲ ラa the lunchroom those with more monW キミ デエWキヴ ヮラIニWデゲ ミS aラIゲ ラミ さHヴミSingざ デhat belies the better
intention of Nutrition Services
Schools are where our children spend two thirds of their day They learn many things and create and
practice many habits The habit of grabbing and going versus food flavors and dining is a practice BVSD
is reexamining Food touches every one of us and is often the single common experience that can bring
people together at a table に not to share a bag of Hot Cheetos and a Gatorade but real whole foods -
food with a place a face and traditions This is a goal that is not beyond the reach of the Boulder Valley
School District
Figure 2 Harvest Bar at Creeekside Elementary
6 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
The Plan - Year One Departmental Reorganization
Step One Wellness Policy ʹ Mission Vision Commitment Implementation Critical to the success of any project the parameters of the vision act as a guide to the daily practices In
2006 like all districts receiving federal funds Boulder put in place a wellness policy The policy in
Boulder is well intentioned but does not have enough specifics to really define how practices in the
district will change respond or evaluate progress toward the goals laid out in the policy 1
As a first step prior to changes the district decides to make as a result of this study revisiting all policies
related to wellness and food is imperative Defining the broad brushstrokes of current policy with
clearer finite goals as they relate to nutrition instruction and physical activity will assist and inspire
change2 Coming together as a community to define a more unified vision will help launch the education
needed to garner support not only for the policy but for the practices needed to enact it
Step Two Organizational Chart ʹ Redefining Departmental Structure as a Path to Change Current Organization
Aゲ SキゲデヴキIデ ラa ヲΒがヰヰヰ ゲデSWミデゲ IラWヴキミェ Α マミキIキヮノキデキWゲ キデエキミ Wヴ ノヴェW ェWラェヴヮエキI ヴW BラノSWヴげゲ NSD has carried an organizational structure (fig 3) utilizing a site based management model overseen
from the district main office Direct supervision of the 22 production site managers and the NSD staff of
150 is limited as the office based team of five including one year round employee are busy managing a
$6 million dollar fund
Opportunities for growth in participation improvement in the ingredients quality of preparation and
service is extremely limited with a departmental structure that lacks enough support at the top as well
as enough managerial tools and skill sets to build momentum in a department which touches every child
in the district
1 Wellness Policy and Healthy Activities Guideline httpbvsdorgpoliciesPoliciesADFpdf
Healthy Food Guidelines httpbvsdorgpoliciespoliciesEFA-Rpdf 2 Center for Ecoliteracy Model Wellness Policy Guide httpwwwecoliteracyorgprogramswellness_policyhtml
and on file at Business Services Office
7 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Current Organizational Structure
Figure 3 Current Organizational Structure
Proposed Organization
Within the proposed organizational structure (fig 4) the key elements that will create enough support
and accountability to enact growth are
Year Round Staff
Increasing year round administrative team members to seven including the director assistant
director executive chef procurement manager procurement assistant and two office staff will
create a seamless department capable of planning for and capitalizing on future growth in meal
participation and year round services
Job Descriptions and Categories of Responsibility
Iミ ヴWラヴェミキキミェ SWヮヴデマWミデノ ゲデヴIデヴW キデげゲ ミWIWゲゲヴ デラ ヴWキゲキデ デエW ゲニキノノゲ ミWWSWS デラ ラヮWヴデW デエW SWヮヴデマWミデく Tエキゲ ヴWヮラヴデげゲ マラSWノ キゲ ミamelessfaceless organizational plan which asks that the
district view its goals through the lens of system implementation first and then consider the skill
sets it has at hand to populate this view
Procurement
In looking toward a central kitchen model bringing procurement receiving inventory
management and transportation under the oversight of the NSD with the appropriate skill sets is
the most efficient way to maintain accountability and transparency within the system The
current system which carries a combination of independent ordering overlaid with some system
wide ordering inherently has many opportunities for loss Implementing true perpetual
CFO
NS
Director
Sup ervisor
Training
Sup ervisor
HR
Sup ervisor
Menu
Office
Purch as ing
Office Famp
R
8
Produ ction
Sites
6
Produ ction
Sites
8
Produ ction
Sites
11 Satillite
Sites
10 Satillite
Sites
2 Satillite
Sites
W areho useAccoun ting
8 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
inventory will bring accountability and cost controls to the department that are essential as it
moves to a more complex model of food service Procurement in a model emphasizing
regionally based foods requires building many new relationships and creative distribution
models to optimize the creation of a true local procurement system
Field Supervision
The current model has supervisors covering so many office based duties that their field
supervision in some cases becomes secondary Supervisors subbing on sites have been
commonplace until this year Concurrently the productionsatellite sites are also at a loss to
combine their on-site management with oversight of their satellite kitchens
In the regional and central kitchen model where the type and style of service will change so
dramatically field supervision is the key to maintaining consistency of product and services
through a time of change During the regional kitchen phase the field supervisors will be housed
out in the district and be able to respond to issues both in the kitchens and to the schoolゲげ needs
while maintaining a direct link of communication with the main office
Reporting Structure and Accounting Link
This model requires the NS Director to have a direct report to the CFO and a communication link
with the Superintendent The far reaching impact of this department and the potential
opportunity it has creating equitable nutrition services district wide requires a clear unfettered
line of communication
The Accounting Department has been assisting the NSD to understand their budget model The
study team recommends this valuable accounting specific position not be moved directly into
the NSD but remain as a liaison position housed in the Business Services Department with a
direct report to the NS Director and the CFO
9 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Proposed Organizational Structure
Figure 4 Proposed Organizational Structure
Step Three Budget Model Development3
Operational Cost Support ʹ Expenses and Revenues
In program change of this scale operational support is critical to building the system needed to
create a sustainable model which will meet the goals of the district At current levels district
wide participation in the school meal program is at 26 To change this paradigm of mediocre
participation and poor quality meals the percentages in the budget will swing over a 3 to 4 year
period until the finalized system is up and running for at least a year Critical to sustainable
change is staff training The budget will carry a higher percentage annually for training in the
first three years Exploring the cost of school meals in Boulder Valley is important because
though BVSD raised meal prices for 2008-2009 they have not raised the quality of the actual
ingredients
3 Proposed 09-10 Budget with Comparison - Electronic Attachment to Report
Communication LinkCFO
Sup erin tenden t
NS
Directo r
Ass it
Director
Procu rement
Manager
Executive
Chef
Field
Sup ervisors
Office
F amp R
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Procu rement
Ass is tantStock
Han dlers
Drivers
Stock
Exec
Ass is tant
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Office
Gen eral
Office
Payro ll
10 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
In the implementation of a meal program based on whole foods the weight of responsibility
shifts from offering as many items as the さmini-martゲざ at the Middle or High Schools can handle
to simply preparing and offering real delicious food In implementation of program change
food cost per school meal will rise and food cost and variety of a la carte items will decrease
(fig 5)
Currently food cost of school meals as a percentage of revenue is approximately 38 while food
cost for the a la carte items is 64 The average cost of food for a school meal in BVSD is $100
In the proposed model food cost per meal will be based on $140 Spending the least amount
possible on the ingredients is not the goal Creating meals that look and taste appetizing and
shifting away from the perspective that a la carte is both profitable and necessary is the
direction Boulder needs to headく CノWヴノ デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マWノゲ マニW ヮ デエW ノキラミげゲ ゲエヴW ラa meal revenue and with focus and attention that will continue to increase
The net gain in a la carte is too low to justify the many costs of it in terms of labor and
procurement systems More importantly this focus of salesmanship as a primary component to
the school day simply is not compatible in an educational environment The presumption is that
a la IヴデW さHa laミIWゲ デエW HSェWデざが Hデ キデ エゲ aキノWS デラ Sラ デエデ IラミゲキゲデWミデノ aラヴ ノラミェ デキマW ミS デエW さcostsざ are now to the culture of the children we are educating in this environment
Figure 5 Food Cost as Compared to Percentage of Meal Revenue
Standards of Evaluation ʹ Meals per Labor Hour
In the current model the formula for Meals per Labor Hour (MLPH) has contributed to the assumption
that a la IヴデW キゲ キミIヴWゲキミェ ヴWWミW H ゲWノノキミェ マラヴW さマWノゲざ (fig 6) This assumption depends upon the
number of students served エラWWヴ さマWノ WケキノWミデざ キミ デエW IヴヴWミデ aラヴマノ aラヴ a la carte is $250
At the middle and high school level where a la carte is a predominant theme $250 reflects more of a
snack purchase than a meal In recurrent observations students routinely spent in excess of $5 on a
variety of junk food Unfortunately the potential to create a reimbursable meal within the parameters
of the a la carte choices exists but the emphasis is not on students obtaining a ba lanced nutritious and
high quality meal it is on spending money Due to the costs of the a la carte program the revenue
simply does not justify the さcostsざ In examining the actual volume of students moving through the
ノキミWゲが キデげゲ WゲデキマデWS デエデ マWノ WケキノWミデ ラa マラヴW than $350 is purchased by 42 of the students
purchasing a la carte with an average sale being closer to $500
Using meals per labor hour as way to evaluate performance is a tricky proposition even more so because
the district has lumped the satellite site sales with the production sites sales without really taking into
account that the primary contribution of the production site to the satellite has been storage as so little
11 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
cooking actually happens in advance of a meal In the a la carte model the costs are attributed more to
managing the inventory than to cooking When examining the performance of the satellite sites alone
they are some of the most productive sites in the district usually working with the least skilled staff
fewest hours and poorest facilities (fig 7 8)
Figure 6 Current MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue allocated to Production Only meal equivalent value $250
Figure 7 Proposed MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue evaluated independently meal equivalent value $400 HS $150 Elem
Figure 8 Tight Quarters at Whittier Elementary Satellite Site
12 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Accountability and Transparency Through Seamless Reporting
Use of the variety of software available to the NSD is critical to efficiency in this multi unit meal
program Several key components will need to be implemented to maximize efficiency and
transparency in reporting as follows
1 Full implementation of VBOSS as the primary inventory based food service management tool for
all facets of NSD program
2 LキミニェW ラa VBOldquoldquo Sデ デラ Lゲラミ デ デエW さヮラゲデWS キミラキIWざ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW Iエキミ ラa マラWマWミデ aヴラマ order to receiving Accounting and IT have agreed this is a possible solution and change to a
planned linkage earlier in the flow of records which would not have allowed NSD to use VBOSS
to its full potential
3 Further exploration of long term cost effectiveness of DBS Point of Sale program as the primary
tool for on-site sales and records for State and Federal review Use of VBOSS for POS would
expand the transparency of the movement of purchased and produced goods from warehouse
to central kitchen to student but further review is needed
4 Implementation of a fully cashless system at all grade levels
The continued implementation of POS systems throughout federally funded school districts is a
direct response to the inequity of federally funded free and reduced meal recipients being
キSWミデキaキWS キミ デエW ノミIエヴララマく Cラママラミ デラ デエキゲ ヮヴIデキIW キゲ ゲWヮヴデW さaヴWW マWノざ ノキミWく Tエラェエ Boulder has moved to a blended line as well as a POS style service its willingness to continue to
accept cash particularly at Middle and High School operations highlights and enlarges the still
obvious inequity of dining in the Boulder Valley School District In addition the labor and
potential loss in the burden of managing a cash operation can be immediately eliminated by
only accepting money for account funding に and even then it does not have to happen during
meals which slows down the line
5 Implementation of electronic time clocks linked directly to Lawson which will eliminate the
paper trails currently in use and create a more efficient interface with which to manage large
hourly staff in the department second only to transportation as far as size in the district
6 Tracking of reimbursable meal costs as a separate category from a la carte meal costs
13 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Step Four Food and Menu
Figure 9 Examples of A la Carte a School Meal and Menu Meal Components in Boulder Valley
Figure 10 Scratch Middle School Lunch California Figure 11 Scratch Elementary Lunch Michigan
Aゲ ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ ゲデS デエW さゲラSキマ ゲラヮゲざ エW HWWミ ヴWマラWS aヴラマ BVldquoD ゲIエララノゲ but the process
that led BVSD to the model it has now に primarily industrially grown and processed foods に reflects the
trends of the last 25 years a reduction of investment in personnel training and ingredients (fig 9)
To change this paradigm BVSD as a community will have to fully support and be passionate about the
opportunity and future of real food (fig 10 11) otherwise the investment in change is lost before it has
begun
In year one the focus in food change will be to improve the ingredients in the reimbursable meal
program and simplify and improve the ingredient content of a la carte foods offered for sale Goals for
ingredient content must be more innovative than the simple 351035 formula that the USDA offers
school districts as their barラマWデWヴ デラ WノデW デエW ノデWゲデ ゲミIニ aララSく さldquoミIニざ エキIエ エゲ ノラミェ エキゲデラヴ キミ BラノSWヴ ミWWSゲ デラ マラヴヮエ キミデラ さマWノがざ and the guidelines on what constitutes food will change from
ingredient listings with ヵヰ キデWマゲ W Iミげデ キSWミデキa デラ WキデエWヴ aララSゲ W ニミラ H ゲight or packaged foods
with ingredients we can easily identify
Use of commodity entitlement funds are a key component of the cost structure in school meals though
さa necessary eviノざ would be the way our study team would describe the commodity entitlement
program Until federal policy shifts on the use and content of commodity entitlement foods we
14 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
ヴWIラママWミS aラIゲキミェ ラミ デエW ノWゲデ さSマェキミェざ キデWマゲ キミ デエW Iラママラdity list avoiding processing and
choosing brown box and raw items
Improvement and implementation of sa lad bars in all elementary and middle schools will be the most
direct and expedient improvement we can make to the overall meal program in year one Facility
improvement and training is critical to this process and shifts will be phased in as the system can
support it
Remove flavored milk from the district Consumption of milk in Boulder is exceptionally high with
annual units sold in excess of 12 million considering the reimbursable meal counts of breakfast and
lunch combined total 132 million meals Flavored milk is driving this volume as its purchase out-
numbers plain milk 4 to 1 Sugar is a powerful draw and the average flavored milk packs an additional
14-16 grams of sugar per serving over plain milk This amounts to 5 to 6 pounds of sugar over the
course of the school year if consumed daily Sugar is the one key ingredient the USDA does not limit in
food product compositions served in American schools Sugared milk simply does not have a place
within innovative program change
Shifting from individually packaged milk to bulk dispensed milk is both efficient and improves the milk
experience as the milk is colder and tastes better The cost savings in bulk dispensing also increases the
possibility of the district being able to afford organic milk
Step Five Facilities Improvements Boulder is fortunate to have kitchens Unfortunately cooking from scratch at all sites is not a practical
or affordable solution Though BVSD has continued to spec and build kitchens for cooking the district
shift to prepackaged food drives those investments to a mute point Very little real food is actually
handled in the district and though it would be fantastic to staff the kitchens with enough people and
In large scale scratch cooking with the goal to provide each child with the same experience leveraging
facilities improvements and personnel into fewer sites is a reasonablW IラマヮヴラマキゲWく Iミ BVldquoDげゲ IゲWが given the current participation and projection that acceptance to real food will take some time cooking
at four regional sites will be possible until a central kitchen facility can be built
To maintain quality food will no longer be transported hot に which though it happens rarely in Boulder
due to the reliance on boxed foods it creates an opportunity for degradation of the food quality (over
cooked) and unsafe transport temperatures A cook and chill bulk operation paired with some cooking
at sites that have enough staff (for example steaming broccoli for service instead of cooking chilling and
reheating broccoli) is a proven method for successful whole foods service where most of the meal is
prepared or prepped at a central site and finished at the satellite as well as the satellite being
responsible for preparation of and maintenance of sa lad bars
In BVSD that means that some sites are over equipped as satellites and some are underequipped For
the most part the underequipped sites fall in the category of the current satellite kitchens4 In addition
4 Site Improvement Overview - Electronic Attachment to Report
15 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
sites that currently have antique equipment sitting under hoods that could be replaced with equipment
like steamers which will enhance the quality of meals are also noted
In year one the critical needs sites will be a priority as well as retro fitting the 4 identified regional
kitchens Louisville Middle School Casey Middle School (when available) Monarch High School and
Fairview High School Changes would be made with an eye toward equipment that could be moved to
the central kitchen when it is built Primary needs are refrigeration dry storage and rapid chilling
equipment
Figure 12 Recipe for Success Staff Training
The Plan - Years Two and Three Ȃ Regional to Central
Marketing and Outreach
The list of challenges presented in year one are great and represent the core of this system change
When considering scratch cooked locally and regionally sourced meals on the scale of a district like
Boulder Valley the efficiency of the system model is critical to enabling a uniform and consistent meal
experience district wide に well prepared excellent ingredients building delicious meal choices In
essence though cooking real food may seem like a gargantuan endeavor the end result is much simpler
in concept than what Boulder Valley has been committed to for a very long time
To maintain the momentum and support for this large scale shift it is imperative that the district actively
commit to Marketing and Outreach which in the language of school food change is simply に education
The Wellness Policy work that will take place as the entry point for this project is the ongoing guide and
measure to successful change Policy that is participated in district wide will inform how the lessons of
wellness that may penetrate curriculum will reinforce and support the activities in the dining rooms
Integrating the educational and equity basis of this change work into the fabric of the district is critical
for the investment in this change to make any sense
16 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Food and Staff
As year two unfolds removal of a la carte and competitive foods will be mirrored by the beginning
implementation of scratch cooked meals The stress of changing habits and implementing new
standards of practice means lots of training and lots of support for the teams working throughout the
district (fig 12)
While the elementary sites may be grappling more with the removal of chicken nuggets the middle
schools and high school students will be facing a very different reality - デエW HゲWミIW ラa デエW さマキミキ-マヴデゲくざ
Staff training focusing on communication and dining room service interface will be very important both
in the first year and continuing as change ramps up
In this model what we remove is being replaced with something we know to be much better even if
there is resistance As the initial months can be extremely challenging for the NSD team on the ground
School and Parental support is critical to successful transition
Facilities and Equipment
In year two we will be continuing the task of updating the schools most in need so that their kitchens
and dining areas are both compatible with the model and not substandard when compared with sites
that have had more updates and attention
The regional sites not having been built as central kitchens will be adjusted also and necessary fixes can
be addressed as they come up but with a central kitchen in view investment in these sites should be
compatible with the larger model
Plans and groundbreaking for a central kitchen early in year two will make it possible to move the
production operations in year three but the heart of this proposal is to give Boulder Valley the time to
move at a pace that is compatible with the available resources and support Because of the layout in the
district and the existing cold storage and warehouse system a central kitchen site in close proximity to
receiving and storage is the most efficient long term solution for the district All the training and
systems that are grown in year two can be transferred to the central kitchen concept in year three or
four so loss of efficiency or redundancy in the process is contained as much as possible
School Support and Schedules
As every administrator knows school schedules are sacred In most districts meal times are treated as a
necessary conditionき デエW エW デラ エヮヮWミが Hデ キデ ラノS HW ェヴWデ キa IエキノSヴWミ SキSミげデ ミWWS aララS ゲゲデWミミIWく Iミ BラノSWヴ VノノW W ニミラ デエWヴWげゲ ゲWIラミSヴ program where that さミラ-ミデヴキWミデゲ ミWWSWSざ dream is
assumed since the high school students affected are not scheduled any time to eat at all
At the elementary level this model should expect to add time for either more meal periods that are
incrementally longer or existing period schedules with more time depending on the volume capacity of
the dining rooms Service lines in almost every elementary school are single lines and if the popularity
of a fresher meal program expands as is hoped more lunch periods that allow for staggering of entry
into the dining room rather than en-mass entrance with a third or half the school population at a time is
key We are aware that there are seating issues now even with very low participation in school meals
17 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
At middle schools with more complex scheduling and students not necessarily moving around their days
in grade blocks more creative stagger schedules may be needed depending on participation levels
At the high schools which possess open campuses the typical routine is not to schedule many meal
periods at all opting for a few blocks of time assuming that not many students will actually attend
High School participation will have to be monitored and scheduling adjusted as needed
The bottom line is that scheduling in a food service model that is undergoing a lot of change needs to be
a part of communication between principals and the NSD office In investing in program change the
district is also investing in culture change and vibrant and dynamic relationships between NSD and the
individual school sites will benefit the district as a whole
Financial Sustainability and Models for Change
If Boulder Valley steps into this change model national attention will be part of the picture and with that
attention the ケWゲデキラミ ラa さエラざ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iミ aaラヴS デラ Sラ デエキゲ ラヴニ キノノ HW Iラミゲデミデ デラヮキI ラa discussion To make the change sustainable will take time to allow for all the facets of the system to be
implemented and mature but throughout this process the NSD will have to continue to bring new
resources to the table
The district is currently not offering any consistent service at the breakfast level despite the fact it has
many employees on site at a majority of schools during the hours needed Understanding the needs and
potential in after school snack programs summer feeding programs and potential-offsite revenue
through catering are all ways to optimize the investment in the food service structure that is available
Yes the NSD needs year round staff to efficiently maintain and grow and that year round work can be
justified as the NSD continues to build resources
Conclusion
Boulder Valley should be commended for even considering making such a huge culture shift and as the
study team we know that Nutrition Services does want to be change-makers but we also know they
cannot do it alone They need the support of the Valley when considering the potential of change We
need to remember that food service workers in schools interact with more of the student body than all
other employees in a school district Lunchrooms can and should be part of the recipe for creating
school environments that nurture children into adults equipped to live long and productive lives and
Boulder has taken a big leap toward entering that groundbreaking arena
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
3 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Table of Figures
Figure 1ぐぐぐぐぐぐくBear Creek Elementary Gardenぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく4
Figure 12ぐぐぐぐぐくRecipe for Success Staff Trainingぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐ15
4 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Figure 1 Garden at Bear Creek Elementary
5 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction
さIa ラ ヴW エデ ラ Wデが デエWミ Iげマ aゲデが IエWヮ ミS Wゲくざ
When Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame ゲ デエデ ノキミW ラミ HマヮWヴ ゲデキIニWヴが ゲエW ラミSWヴWSが さIゲ デエキゲ ヴWノノ エデ W ミデ デエW SWゲデキミ ラa ラヴ ミデキラミ デラ HWいざ
Why did BVSD decide to take a look at its Nutrition Services practices at this particular point in time
School districts are at a confluence in our nationげゲ SWHデW Hラデ デエW ゲデデW ラa ラヴ childrenげゲ エWノデエ ミS the districtげs role as the incubator for change CエキノSヴWミげゲ health or lack thereof is deemed a hot topic
along with their math and reading skills It is no longer assumed that our children will live long healthy
and productive lives School nutrition is now seen as an avenue of opportunity to push back the wave of
obesity type 2 Diabetes and high blood pressure that threaten our future communities Schools are
also the location of a key social justice pivot point where those with the fewest resources are most
reliant on the institutional system many of us with more resources take for granted
The quest to offer an equitable education includes another basic need of human civilization に food In
デエW BラノSWヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW キミWケキデ ラa デエW さゲミIニ ノキミWざ aラヴIWS ミ ラWヴエノ デラ エデ キゲ ニミラミ ゲ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴざ キミ デエW IaWデWヴキ ノキミWが Hデ デエW WデエキIゲ ラa ミデヴキデキラミ ミS エWノデエ ヴW ゲデキノノ ラWヴIラマW H デエW WIラミラマキIゲ ラa the lunchroom those with more monW キミ デエWキヴ ヮラIニWデゲ ミS aラIゲ ラミ さHヴミSingざ デhat belies the better
intention of Nutrition Services
Schools are where our children spend two thirds of their day They learn many things and create and
practice many habits The habit of grabbing and going versus food flavors and dining is a practice BVSD
is reexamining Food touches every one of us and is often the single common experience that can bring
people together at a table に not to share a bag of Hot Cheetos and a Gatorade but real whole foods -
food with a place a face and traditions This is a goal that is not beyond the reach of the Boulder Valley
School District
Figure 2 Harvest Bar at Creeekside Elementary
6 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
The Plan - Year One Departmental Reorganization
Step One Wellness Policy ʹ Mission Vision Commitment Implementation Critical to the success of any project the parameters of the vision act as a guide to the daily practices In
2006 like all districts receiving federal funds Boulder put in place a wellness policy The policy in
Boulder is well intentioned but does not have enough specifics to really define how practices in the
district will change respond or evaluate progress toward the goals laid out in the policy 1
As a first step prior to changes the district decides to make as a result of this study revisiting all policies
related to wellness and food is imperative Defining the broad brushstrokes of current policy with
clearer finite goals as they relate to nutrition instruction and physical activity will assist and inspire
change2 Coming together as a community to define a more unified vision will help launch the education
needed to garner support not only for the policy but for the practices needed to enact it
Step Two Organizational Chart ʹ Redefining Departmental Structure as a Path to Change Current Organization
Aゲ SキゲデヴキIデ ラa ヲΒがヰヰヰ ゲデSWミデゲ IラWヴキミェ Α マミキIキヮノキデキWゲ キデエキミ Wヴ ノヴェW ェWラェヴヮエキI ヴW BラノSWヴげゲ NSD has carried an organizational structure (fig 3) utilizing a site based management model overseen
from the district main office Direct supervision of the 22 production site managers and the NSD staff of
150 is limited as the office based team of five including one year round employee are busy managing a
$6 million dollar fund
Opportunities for growth in participation improvement in the ingredients quality of preparation and
service is extremely limited with a departmental structure that lacks enough support at the top as well
as enough managerial tools and skill sets to build momentum in a department which touches every child
in the district
1 Wellness Policy and Healthy Activities Guideline httpbvsdorgpoliciesPoliciesADFpdf
Healthy Food Guidelines httpbvsdorgpoliciespoliciesEFA-Rpdf 2 Center for Ecoliteracy Model Wellness Policy Guide httpwwwecoliteracyorgprogramswellness_policyhtml
and on file at Business Services Office
7 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Current Organizational Structure
Figure 3 Current Organizational Structure
Proposed Organization
Within the proposed organizational structure (fig 4) the key elements that will create enough support
and accountability to enact growth are
Year Round Staff
Increasing year round administrative team members to seven including the director assistant
director executive chef procurement manager procurement assistant and two office staff will
create a seamless department capable of planning for and capitalizing on future growth in meal
participation and year round services
Job Descriptions and Categories of Responsibility
Iミ ヴWラヴェミキキミェ SWヮヴデマWミデノ ゲデヴIデヴW キデげゲ ミWIWゲゲヴ デラ ヴWキゲキデ デエW ゲニキノノゲ ミWWSWS デラ ラヮWヴデW デエW SWヮヴデマWミデく Tエキゲ ヴWヮラヴデげゲ マラSWノ キゲ ミamelessfaceless organizational plan which asks that the
district view its goals through the lens of system implementation first and then consider the skill
sets it has at hand to populate this view
Procurement
In looking toward a central kitchen model bringing procurement receiving inventory
management and transportation under the oversight of the NSD with the appropriate skill sets is
the most efficient way to maintain accountability and transparency within the system The
current system which carries a combination of independent ordering overlaid with some system
wide ordering inherently has many opportunities for loss Implementing true perpetual
CFO
NS
Director
Sup ervisor
Training
Sup ervisor
HR
Sup ervisor
Menu
Office
Purch as ing
Office Famp
R
8
Produ ction
Sites
6
Produ ction
Sites
8
Produ ction
Sites
11 Satillite
Sites
10 Satillite
Sites
2 Satillite
Sites
W areho useAccoun ting
8 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
inventory will bring accountability and cost controls to the department that are essential as it
moves to a more complex model of food service Procurement in a model emphasizing
regionally based foods requires building many new relationships and creative distribution
models to optimize the creation of a true local procurement system
Field Supervision
The current model has supervisors covering so many office based duties that their field
supervision in some cases becomes secondary Supervisors subbing on sites have been
commonplace until this year Concurrently the productionsatellite sites are also at a loss to
combine their on-site management with oversight of their satellite kitchens
In the regional and central kitchen model where the type and style of service will change so
dramatically field supervision is the key to maintaining consistency of product and services
through a time of change During the regional kitchen phase the field supervisors will be housed
out in the district and be able to respond to issues both in the kitchens and to the schoolゲげ needs
while maintaining a direct link of communication with the main office
Reporting Structure and Accounting Link
This model requires the NS Director to have a direct report to the CFO and a communication link
with the Superintendent The far reaching impact of this department and the potential
opportunity it has creating equitable nutrition services district wide requires a clear unfettered
line of communication
The Accounting Department has been assisting the NSD to understand their budget model The
study team recommends this valuable accounting specific position not be moved directly into
the NSD but remain as a liaison position housed in the Business Services Department with a
direct report to the NS Director and the CFO
9 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Proposed Organizational Structure
Figure 4 Proposed Organizational Structure
Step Three Budget Model Development3
Operational Cost Support ʹ Expenses and Revenues
In program change of this scale operational support is critical to building the system needed to
create a sustainable model which will meet the goals of the district At current levels district
wide participation in the school meal program is at 26 To change this paradigm of mediocre
participation and poor quality meals the percentages in the budget will swing over a 3 to 4 year
period until the finalized system is up and running for at least a year Critical to sustainable
change is staff training The budget will carry a higher percentage annually for training in the
first three years Exploring the cost of school meals in Boulder Valley is important because
though BVSD raised meal prices for 2008-2009 they have not raised the quality of the actual
ingredients
3 Proposed 09-10 Budget with Comparison - Electronic Attachment to Report
Communication LinkCFO
Sup erin tenden t
NS
Directo r
Ass it
Director
Procu rement
Manager
Executive
Chef
Field
Sup ervisors
Office
F amp R
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Procu rement
Ass is tantStock
Han dlers
Drivers
Stock
Exec
Ass is tant
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Office
Gen eral
Office
Payro ll
10 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
In the implementation of a meal program based on whole foods the weight of responsibility
shifts from offering as many items as the さmini-martゲざ at the Middle or High Schools can handle
to simply preparing and offering real delicious food In implementation of program change
food cost per school meal will rise and food cost and variety of a la carte items will decrease
(fig 5)
Currently food cost of school meals as a percentage of revenue is approximately 38 while food
cost for the a la carte items is 64 The average cost of food for a school meal in BVSD is $100
In the proposed model food cost per meal will be based on $140 Spending the least amount
possible on the ingredients is not the goal Creating meals that look and taste appetizing and
shifting away from the perspective that a la carte is both profitable and necessary is the
direction Boulder needs to headく CノWヴノ デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マWノゲ マニW ヮ デエW ノキラミげゲ ゲエヴW ラa meal revenue and with focus and attention that will continue to increase
The net gain in a la carte is too low to justify the many costs of it in terms of labor and
procurement systems More importantly this focus of salesmanship as a primary component to
the school day simply is not compatible in an educational environment The presumption is that
a la IヴデW さHa laミIWゲ デエW HSェWデざが Hデ キデ エゲ aキノWS デラ Sラ デエデ IラミゲキゲデWミデノ aラヴ ノラミェ デキマW ミS デエW さcostsざ are now to the culture of the children we are educating in this environment
Figure 5 Food Cost as Compared to Percentage of Meal Revenue
Standards of Evaluation ʹ Meals per Labor Hour
In the current model the formula for Meals per Labor Hour (MLPH) has contributed to the assumption
that a la IヴデW キゲ キミIヴWゲキミェ ヴWWミW H ゲWノノキミェ マラヴW さマWノゲざ (fig 6) This assumption depends upon the
number of students served エラWWヴ さマWノ WケキノWミデざ キミ デエW IヴヴWミデ aラヴマノ aラヴ a la carte is $250
At the middle and high school level where a la carte is a predominant theme $250 reflects more of a
snack purchase than a meal In recurrent observations students routinely spent in excess of $5 on a
variety of junk food Unfortunately the potential to create a reimbursable meal within the parameters
of the a la carte choices exists but the emphasis is not on students obtaining a ba lanced nutritious and
high quality meal it is on spending money Due to the costs of the a la carte program the revenue
simply does not justify the さcostsざ In examining the actual volume of students moving through the
ノキミWゲが キデげゲ WゲデキマデWS デエデ マWノ WケキノWミデ ラa マラヴW than $350 is purchased by 42 of the students
purchasing a la carte with an average sale being closer to $500
Using meals per labor hour as way to evaluate performance is a tricky proposition even more so because
the district has lumped the satellite site sales with the production sites sales without really taking into
account that the primary contribution of the production site to the satellite has been storage as so little
11 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
cooking actually happens in advance of a meal In the a la carte model the costs are attributed more to
managing the inventory than to cooking When examining the performance of the satellite sites alone
they are some of the most productive sites in the district usually working with the least skilled staff
fewest hours and poorest facilities (fig 7 8)
Figure 6 Current MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue allocated to Production Only meal equivalent value $250
Figure 7 Proposed MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue evaluated independently meal equivalent value $400 HS $150 Elem
Figure 8 Tight Quarters at Whittier Elementary Satellite Site
12 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Accountability and Transparency Through Seamless Reporting
Use of the variety of software available to the NSD is critical to efficiency in this multi unit meal
program Several key components will need to be implemented to maximize efficiency and
transparency in reporting as follows
1 Full implementation of VBOSS as the primary inventory based food service management tool for
all facets of NSD program
2 LキミニェW ラa VBOldquoldquo Sデ デラ Lゲラミ デ デエW さヮラゲデWS キミラキIWざ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW Iエキミ ラa マラWマWミデ aヴラマ order to receiving Accounting and IT have agreed this is a possible solution and change to a
planned linkage earlier in the flow of records which would not have allowed NSD to use VBOSS
to its full potential
3 Further exploration of long term cost effectiveness of DBS Point of Sale program as the primary
tool for on-site sales and records for State and Federal review Use of VBOSS for POS would
expand the transparency of the movement of purchased and produced goods from warehouse
to central kitchen to student but further review is needed
4 Implementation of a fully cashless system at all grade levels
The continued implementation of POS systems throughout federally funded school districts is a
direct response to the inequity of federally funded free and reduced meal recipients being
キSWミデキaキWS キミ デエW ノミIエヴララマく Cラママラミ デラ デエキゲ ヮヴIデキIW キゲ ゲWヮヴデW さaヴWW マWノざ ノキミWく Tエラェエ Boulder has moved to a blended line as well as a POS style service its willingness to continue to
accept cash particularly at Middle and High School operations highlights and enlarges the still
obvious inequity of dining in the Boulder Valley School District In addition the labor and
potential loss in the burden of managing a cash operation can be immediately eliminated by
only accepting money for account funding に and even then it does not have to happen during
meals which slows down the line
5 Implementation of electronic time clocks linked directly to Lawson which will eliminate the
paper trails currently in use and create a more efficient interface with which to manage large
hourly staff in the department second only to transportation as far as size in the district
6 Tracking of reimbursable meal costs as a separate category from a la carte meal costs
13 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Step Four Food and Menu
Figure 9 Examples of A la Carte a School Meal and Menu Meal Components in Boulder Valley
Figure 10 Scratch Middle School Lunch California Figure 11 Scratch Elementary Lunch Michigan
Aゲ ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ ゲデS デエW さゲラSキマ ゲラヮゲざ エW HWWミ ヴWマラWS aヴラマ BVldquoD ゲIエララノゲ but the process
that led BVSD to the model it has now に primarily industrially grown and processed foods に reflects the
trends of the last 25 years a reduction of investment in personnel training and ingredients (fig 9)
To change this paradigm BVSD as a community will have to fully support and be passionate about the
opportunity and future of real food (fig 10 11) otherwise the investment in change is lost before it has
begun
In year one the focus in food change will be to improve the ingredients in the reimbursable meal
program and simplify and improve the ingredient content of a la carte foods offered for sale Goals for
ingredient content must be more innovative than the simple 351035 formula that the USDA offers
school districts as their barラマWデWヴ デラ WノデW デエW ノデWゲデ ゲミIニ aララSく さldquoミIニざ エキIエ エゲ ノラミェ エキゲデラヴ キミ BラノSWヴ ミWWSゲ デラ マラヴヮエ キミデラ さマWノがざ and the guidelines on what constitutes food will change from
ingredient listings with ヵヰ キデWマゲ W Iミげデ キSWミデキa デラ WキデエWヴ aララSゲ W ニミラ H ゲight or packaged foods
with ingredients we can easily identify
Use of commodity entitlement funds are a key component of the cost structure in school meals though
さa necessary eviノざ would be the way our study team would describe the commodity entitlement
program Until federal policy shifts on the use and content of commodity entitlement foods we
14 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
ヴWIラママWミS aラIゲキミェ ラミ デエW ノWゲデ さSマェキミェざ キデWマゲ キミ デエW Iラママラdity list avoiding processing and
choosing brown box and raw items
Improvement and implementation of sa lad bars in all elementary and middle schools will be the most
direct and expedient improvement we can make to the overall meal program in year one Facility
improvement and training is critical to this process and shifts will be phased in as the system can
support it
Remove flavored milk from the district Consumption of milk in Boulder is exceptionally high with
annual units sold in excess of 12 million considering the reimbursable meal counts of breakfast and
lunch combined total 132 million meals Flavored milk is driving this volume as its purchase out-
numbers plain milk 4 to 1 Sugar is a powerful draw and the average flavored milk packs an additional
14-16 grams of sugar per serving over plain milk This amounts to 5 to 6 pounds of sugar over the
course of the school year if consumed daily Sugar is the one key ingredient the USDA does not limit in
food product compositions served in American schools Sugared milk simply does not have a place
within innovative program change
Shifting from individually packaged milk to bulk dispensed milk is both efficient and improves the milk
experience as the milk is colder and tastes better The cost savings in bulk dispensing also increases the
possibility of the district being able to afford organic milk
Step Five Facilities Improvements Boulder is fortunate to have kitchens Unfortunately cooking from scratch at all sites is not a practical
or affordable solution Though BVSD has continued to spec and build kitchens for cooking the district
shift to prepackaged food drives those investments to a mute point Very little real food is actually
handled in the district and though it would be fantastic to staff the kitchens with enough people and
In large scale scratch cooking with the goal to provide each child with the same experience leveraging
facilities improvements and personnel into fewer sites is a reasonablW IラマヮヴラマキゲWく Iミ BVldquoDげゲ IゲWが given the current participation and projection that acceptance to real food will take some time cooking
at four regional sites will be possible until a central kitchen facility can be built
To maintain quality food will no longer be transported hot に which though it happens rarely in Boulder
due to the reliance on boxed foods it creates an opportunity for degradation of the food quality (over
cooked) and unsafe transport temperatures A cook and chill bulk operation paired with some cooking
at sites that have enough staff (for example steaming broccoli for service instead of cooking chilling and
reheating broccoli) is a proven method for successful whole foods service where most of the meal is
prepared or prepped at a central site and finished at the satellite as well as the satellite being
responsible for preparation of and maintenance of sa lad bars
In BVSD that means that some sites are over equipped as satellites and some are underequipped For
the most part the underequipped sites fall in the category of the current satellite kitchens4 In addition
4 Site Improvement Overview - Electronic Attachment to Report
15 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
sites that currently have antique equipment sitting under hoods that could be replaced with equipment
like steamers which will enhance the quality of meals are also noted
In year one the critical needs sites will be a priority as well as retro fitting the 4 identified regional
kitchens Louisville Middle School Casey Middle School (when available) Monarch High School and
Fairview High School Changes would be made with an eye toward equipment that could be moved to
the central kitchen when it is built Primary needs are refrigeration dry storage and rapid chilling
equipment
Figure 12 Recipe for Success Staff Training
The Plan - Years Two and Three Ȃ Regional to Central
Marketing and Outreach
The list of challenges presented in year one are great and represent the core of this system change
When considering scratch cooked locally and regionally sourced meals on the scale of a district like
Boulder Valley the efficiency of the system model is critical to enabling a uniform and consistent meal
experience district wide に well prepared excellent ingredients building delicious meal choices In
essence though cooking real food may seem like a gargantuan endeavor the end result is much simpler
in concept than what Boulder Valley has been committed to for a very long time
To maintain the momentum and support for this large scale shift it is imperative that the district actively
commit to Marketing and Outreach which in the language of school food change is simply に education
The Wellness Policy work that will take place as the entry point for this project is the ongoing guide and
measure to successful change Policy that is participated in district wide will inform how the lessons of
wellness that may penetrate curriculum will reinforce and support the activities in the dining rooms
Integrating the educational and equity basis of this change work into the fabric of the district is critical
for the investment in this change to make any sense
16 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Food and Staff
As year two unfolds removal of a la carte and competitive foods will be mirrored by the beginning
implementation of scratch cooked meals The stress of changing habits and implementing new
standards of practice means lots of training and lots of support for the teams working throughout the
district (fig 12)
While the elementary sites may be grappling more with the removal of chicken nuggets the middle
schools and high school students will be facing a very different reality - デエW HゲWミIW ラa デエW さマキミキ-マヴデゲくざ
Staff training focusing on communication and dining room service interface will be very important both
in the first year and continuing as change ramps up
In this model what we remove is being replaced with something we know to be much better even if
there is resistance As the initial months can be extremely challenging for the NSD team on the ground
School and Parental support is critical to successful transition
Facilities and Equipment
In year two we will be continuing the task of updating the schools most in need so that their kitchens
and dining areas are both compatible with the model and not substandard when compared with sites
that have had more updates and attention
The regional sites not having been built as central kitchens will be adjusted also and necessary fixes can
be addressed as they come up but with a central kitchen in view investment in these sites should be
compatible with the larger model
Plans and groundbreaking for a central kitchen early in year two will make it possible to move the
production operations in year three but the heart of this proposal is to give Boulder Valley the time to
move at a pace that is compatible with the available resources and support Because of the layout in the
district and the existing cold storage and warehouse system a central kitchen site in close proximity to
receiving and storage is the most efficient long term solution for the district All the training and
systems that are grown in year two can be transferred to the central kitchen concept in year three or
four so loss of efficiency or redundancy in the process is contained as much as possible
School Support and Schedules
As every administrator knows school schedules are sacred In most districts meal times are treated as a
necessary conditionき デエW エW デラ エヮヮWミが Hデ キデ ラノS HW ェヴWデ キa IエキノSヴWミ SキSミげデ ミWWS aララS ゲゲデWミミIWく Iミ BラノSWヴ VノノW W ニミラ デエWヴWげゲ ゲWIラミSヴ program where that さミラ-ミデヴキWミデゲ ミWWSWSざ dream is
assumed since the high school students affected are not scheduled any time to eat at all
At the elementary level this model should expect to add time for either more meal periods that are
incrementally longer or existing period schedules with more time depending on the volume capacity of
the dining rooms Service lines in almost every elementary school are single lines and if the popularity
of a fresher meal program expands as is hoped more lunch periods that allow for staggering of entry
into the dining room rather than en-mass entrance with a third or half the school population at a time is
key We are aware that there are seating issues now even with very low participation in school meals
17 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
At middle schools with more complex scheduling and students not necessarily moving around their days
in grade blocks more creative stagger schedules may be needed depending on participation levels
At the high schools which possess open campuses the typical routine is not to schedule many meal
periods at all opting for a few blocks of time assuming that not many students will actually attend
High School participation will have to be monitored and scheduling adjusted as needed
The bottom line is that scheduling in a food service model that is undergoing a lot of change needs to be
a part of communication between principals and the NSD office In investing in program change the
district is also investing in culture change and vibrant and dynamic relationships between NSD and the
individual school sites will benefit the district as a whole
Financial Sustainability and Models for Change
If Boulder Valley steps into this change model national attention will be part of the picture and with that
attention the ケWゲデキラミ ラa さエラざ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iミ aaラヴS デラ Sラ デエキゲ ラヴニ キノノ HW Iラミゲデミデ デラヮキI ラa discussion To make the change sustainable will take time to allow for all the facets of the system to be
implemented and mature but throughout this process the NSD will have to continue to bring new
resources to the table
The district is currently not offering any consistent service at the breakfast level despite the fact it has
many employees on site at a majority of schools during the hours needed Understanding the needs and
potential in after school snack programs summer feeding programs and potential-offsite revenue
through catering are all ways to optimize the investment in the food service structure that is available
Yes the NSD needs year round staff to efficiently maintain and grow and that year round work can be
justified as the NSD continues to build resources
Conclusion
Boulder Valley should be commended for even considering making such a huge culture shift and as the
study team we know that Nutrition Services does want to be change-makers but we also know they
cannot do it alone They need the support of the Valley when considering the potential of change We
need to remember that food service workers in schools interact with more of the student body than all
other employees in a school district Lunchrooms can and should be part of the recipe for creating
school environments that nurture children into adults equipped to live long and productive lives and
Boulder has taken a big leap toward entering that groundbreaking arena
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
4 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Figure 1 Garden at Bear Creek Elementary
5 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction
さIa ラ ヴW エデ ラ Wデが デエWミ Iげマ aゲデが IエWヮ ミS Wゲくざ
When Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame ゲ デエデ ノキミW ラミ HマヮWヴ ゲデキIニWヴが ゲエW ラミSWヴWSが さIゲ デエキゲ ヴWノノ エデ W ミデ デエW SWゲデキミ ラa ラヴ ミデキラミ デラ HWいざ
Why did BVSD decide to take a look at its Nutrition Services practices at this particular point in time
School districts are at a confluence in our nationげゲ SWHデW Hラデ デエW ゲデデW ラa ラヴ childrenげゲ エWノデエ ミS the districtげs role as the incubator for change CエキノSヴWミげゲ health or lack thereof is deemed a hot topic
along with their math and reading skills It is no longer assumed that our children will live long healthy
and productive lives School nutrition is now seen as an avenue of opportunity to push back the wave of
obesity type 2 Diabetes and high blood pressure that threaten our future communities Schools are
also the location of a key social justice pivot point where those with the fewest resources are most
reliant on the institutional system many of us with more resources take for granted
The quest to offer an equitable education includes another basic need of human civilization に food In
デエW BラノSWヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW キミWケキデ ラa デエW さゲミIニ ノキミWざ aラヴIWS ミ ラWヴエノ デラ エデ キゲ ニミラミ ゲ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴざ キミ デエW IaWデWヴキ ノキミWが Hデ デエW WデエキIゲ ラa ミデヴキデキラミ ミS エWノデエ ヴW ゲデキノノ ラWヴIラマW H デエW WIラミラマキIゲ ラa the lunchroom those with more monW キミ デエWキヴ ヮラIニWデゲ ミS aラIゲ ラミ さHヴミSingざ デhat belies the better
intention of Nutrition Services
Schools are where our children spend two thirds of their day They learn many things and create and
practice many habits The habit of grabbing and going versus food flavors and dining is a practice BVSD
is reexamining Food touches every one of us and is often the single common experience that can bring
people together at a table に not to share a bag of Hot Cheetos and a Gatorade but real whole foods -
food with a place a face and traditions This is a goal that is not beyond the reach of the Boulder Valley
School District
Figure 2 Harvest Bar at Creeekside Elementary
6 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
The Plan - Year One Departmental Reorganization
Step One Wellness Policy ʹ Mission Vision Commitment Implementation Critical to the success of any project the parameters of the vision act as a guide to the daily practices In
2006 like all districts receiving federal funds Boulder put in place a wellness policy The policy in
Boulder is well intentioned but does not have enough specifics to really define how practices in the
district will change respond or evaluate progress toward the goals laid out in the policy 1
As a first step prior to changes the district decides to make as a result of this study revisiting all policies
related to wellness and food is imperative Defining the broad brushstrokes of current policy with
clearer finite goals as they relate to nutrition instruction and physical activity will assist and inspire
change2 Coming together as a community to define a more unified vision will help launch the education
needed to garner support not only for the policy but for the practices needed to enact it
Step Two Organizational Chart ʹ Redefining Departmental Structure as a Path to Change Current Organization
Aゲ SキゲデヴキIデ ラa ヲΒがヰヰヰ ゲデSWミデゲ IラWヴキミェ Α マミキIキヮノキデキWゲ キデエキミ Wヴ ノヴェW ェWラェヴヮエキI ヴW BラノSWヴげゲ NSD has carried an organizational structure (fig 3) utilizing a site based management model overseen
from the district main office Direct supervision of the 22 production site managers and the NSD staff of
150 is limited as the office based team of five including one year round employee are busy managing a
$6 million dollar fund
Opportunities for growth in participation improvement in the ingredients quality of preparation and
service is extremely limited with a departmental structure that lacks enough support at the top as well
as enough managerial tools and skill sets to build momentum in a department which touches every child
in the district
1 Wellness Policy and Healthy Activities Guideline httpbvsdorgpoliciesPoliciesADFpdf
Healthy Food Guidelines httpbvsdorgpoliciespoliciesEFA-Rpdf 2 Center for Ecoliteracy Model Wellness Policy Guide httpwwwecoliteracyorgprogramswellness_policyhtml
and on file at Business Services Office
7 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Current Organizational Structure
Figure 3 Current Organizational Structure
Proposed Organization
Within the proposed organizational structure (fig 4) the key elements that will create enough support
and accountability to enact growth are
Year Round Staff
Increasing year round administrative team members to seven including the director assistant
director executive chef procurement manager procurement assistant and two office staff will
create a seamless department capable of planning for and capitalizing on future growth in meal
participation and year round services
Job Descriptions and Categories of Responsibility
Iミ ヴWラヴェミキキミェ SWヮヴデマWミデノ ゲデヴIデヴW キデげゲ ミWIWゲゲヴ デラ ヴWキゲキデ デエW ゲニキノノゲ ミWWSWS デラ ラヮWヴデW デエW SWヮヴデマWミデく Tエキゲ ヴWヮラヴデげゲ マラSWノ キゲ ミamelessfaceless organizational plan which asks that the
district view its goals through the lens of system implementation first and then consider the skill
sets it has at hand to populate this view
Procurement
In looking toward a central kitchen model bringing procurement receiving inventory
management and transportation under the oversight of the NSD with the appropriate skill sets is
the most efficient way to maintain accountability and transparency within the system The
current system which carries a combination of independent ordering overlaid with some system
wide ordering inherently has many opportunities for loss Implementing true perpetual
CFO
NS
Director
Sup ervisor
Training
Sup ervisor
HR
Sup ervisor
Menu
Office
Purch as ing
Office Famp
R
8
Produ ction
Sites
6
Produ ction
Sites
8
Produ ction
Sites
11 Satillite
Sites
10 Satillite
Sites
2 Satillite
Sites
W areho useAccoun ting
8 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
inventory will bring accountability and cost controls to the department that are essential as it
moves to a more complex model of food service Procurement in a model emphasizing
regionally based foods requires building many new relationships and creative distribution
models to optimize the creation of a true local procurement system
Field Supervision
The current model has supervisors covering so many office based duties that their field
supervision in some cases becomes secondary Supervisors subbing on sites have been
commonplace until this year Concurrently the productionsatellite sites are also at a loss to
combine their on-site management with oversight of their satellite kitchens
In the regional and central kitchen model where the type and style of service will change so
dramatically field supervision is the key to maintaining consistency of product and services
through a time of change During the regional kitchen phase the field supervisors will be housed
out in the district and be able to respond to issues both in the kitchens and to the schoolゲげ needs
while maintaining a direct link of communication with the main office
Reporting Structure and Accounting Link
This model requires the NS Director to have a direct report to the CFO and a communication link
with the Superintendent The far reaching impact of this department and the potential
opportunity it has creating equitable nutrition services district wide requires a clear unfettered
line of communication
The Accounting Department has been assisting the NSD to understand their budget model The
study team recommends this valuable accounting specific position not be moved directly into
the NSD but remain as a liaison position housed in the Business Services Department with a
direct report to the NS Director and the CFO
9 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Proposed Organizational Structure
Figure 4 Proposed Organizational Structure
Step Three Budget Model Development3
Operational Cost Support ʹ Expenses and Revenues
In program change of this scale operational support is critical to building the system needed to
create a sustainable model which will meet the goals of the district At current levels district
wide participation in the school meal program is at 26 To change this paradigm of mediocre
participation and poor quality meals the percentages in the budget will swing over a 3 to 4 year
period until the finalized system is up and running for at least a year Critical to sustainable
change is staff training The budget will carry a higher percentage annually for training in the
first three years Exploring the cost of school meals in Boulder Valley is important because
though BVSD raised meal prices for 2008-2009 they have not raised the quality of the actual
ingredients
3 Proposed 09-10 Budget with Comparison - Electronic Attachment to Report
Communication LinkCFO
Sup erin tenden t
NS
Directo r
Ass it
Director
Procu rement
Manager
Executive
Chef
Field
Sup ervisors
Office
F amp R
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Procu rement
Ass is tantStock
Han dlers
Drivers
Stock
Exec
Ass is tant
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Office
Gen eral
Office
Payro ll
10 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
In the implementation of a meal program based on whole foods the weight of responsibility
shifts from offering as many items as the さmini-martゲざ at the Middle or High Schools can handle
to simply preparing and offering real delicious food In implementation of program change
food cost per school meal will rise and food cost and variety of a la carte items will decrease
(fig 5)
Currently food cost of school meals as a percentage of revenue is approximately 38 while food
cost for the a la carte items is 64 The average cost of food for a school meal in BVSD is $100
In the proposed model food cost per meal will be based on $140 Spending the least amount
possible on the ingredients is not the goal Creating meals that look and taste appetizing and
shifting away from the perspective that a la carte is both profitable and necessary is the
direction Boulder needs to headく CノWヴノ デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マWノゲ マニW ヮ デエW ノキラミげゲ ゲエヴW ラa meal revenue and with focus and attention that will continue to increase
The net gain in a la carte is too low to justify the many costs of it in terms of labor and
procurement systems More importantly this focus of salesmanship as a primary component to
the school day simply is not compatible in an educational environment The presumption is that
a la IヴデW さHa laミIWゲ デエW HSェWデざが Hデ キデ エゲ aキノWS デラ Sラ デエデ IラミゲキゲデWミデノ aラヴ ノラミェ デキマW ミS デエW さcostsざ are now to the culture of the children we are educating in this environment
Figure 5 Food Cost as Compared to Percentage of Meal Revenue
Standards of Evaluation ʹ Meals per Labor Hour
In the current model the formula for Meals per Labor Hour (MLPH) has contributed to the assumption
that a la IヴデW キゲ キミIヴWゲキミェ ヴWWミW H ゲWノノキミェ マラヴW さマWノゲざ (fig 6) This assumption depends upon the
number of students served エラWWヴ さマWノ WケキノWミデざ キミ デエW IヴヴWミデ aラヴマノ aラヴ a la carte is $250
At the middle and high school level where a la carte is a predominant theme $250 reflects more of a
snack purchase than a meal In recurrent observations students routinely spent in excess of $5 on a
variety of junk food Unfortunately the potential to create a reimbursable meal within the parameters
of the a la carte choices exists but the emphasis is not on students obtaining a ba lanced nutritious and
high quality meal it is on spending money Due to the costs of the a la carte program the revenue
simply does not justify the さcostsざ In examining the actual volume of students moving through the
ノキミWゲが キデげゲ WゲデキマデWS デエデ マWノ WケキノWミデ ラa マラヴW than $350 is purchased by 42 of the students
purchasing a la carte with an average sale being closer to $500
Using meals per labor hour as way to evaluate performance is a tricky proposition even more so because
the district has lumped the satellite site sales with the production sites sales without really taking into
account that the primary contribution of the production site to the satellite has been storage as so little
11 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
cooking actually happens in advance of a meal In the a la carte model the costs are attributed more to
managing the inventory than to cooking When examining the performance of the satellite sites alone
they are some of the most productive sites in the district usually working with the least skilled staff
fewest hours and poorest facilities (fig 7 8)
Figure 6 Current MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue allocated to Production Only meal equivalent value $250
Figure 7 Proposed MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue evaluated independently meal equivalent value $400 HS $150 Elem
Figure 8 Tight Quarters at Whittier Elementary Satellite Site
12 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Accountability and Transparency Through Seamless Reporting
Use of the variety of software available to the NSD is critical to efficiency in this multi unit meal
program Several key components will need to be implemented to maximize efficiency and
transparency in reporting as follows
1 Full implementation of VBOSS as the primary inventory based food service management tool for
all facets of NSD program
2 LキミニェW ラa VBOldquoldquo Sデ デラ Lゲラミ デ デエW さヮラゲデWS キミラキIWざ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW Iエキミ ラa マラWマWミデ aヴラマ order to receiving Accounting and IT have agreed this is a possible solution and change to a
planned linkage earlier in the flow of records which would not have allowed NSD to use VBOSS
to its full potential
3 Further exploration of long term cost effectiveness of DBS Point of Sale program as the primary
tool for on-site sales and records for State and Federal review Use of VBOSS for POS would
expand the transparency of the movement of purchased and produced goods from warehouse
to central kitchen to student but further review is needed
4 Implementation of a fully cashless system at all grade levels
The continued implementation of POS systems throughout federally funded school districts is a
direct response to the inequity of federally funded free and reduced meal recipients being
キSWミデキaキWS キミ デエW ノミIエヴララマく Cラママラミ デラ デエキゲ ヮヴIデキIW キゲ ゲWヮヴデW さaヴWW マWノざ ノキミWく Tエラェエ Boulder has moved to a blended line as well as a POS style service its willingness to continue to
accept cash particularly at Middle and High School operations highlights and enlarges the still
obvious inequity of dining in the Boulder Valley School District In addition the labor and
potential loss in the burden of managing a cash operation can be immediately eliminated by
only accepting money for account funding に and even then it does not have to happen during
meals which slows down the line
5 Implementation of electronic time clocks linked directly to Lawson which will eliminate the
paper trails currently in use and create a more efficient interface with which to manage large
hourly staff in the department second only to transportation as far as size in the district
6 Tracking of reimbursable meal costs as a separate category from a la carte meal costs
13 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Step Four Food and Menu
Figure 9 Examples of A la Carte a School Meal and Menu Meal Components in Boulder Valley
Figure 10 Scratch Middle School Lunch California Figure 11 Scratch Elementary Lunch Michigan
Aゲ ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ ゲデS デエW さゲラSキマ ゲラヮゲざ エW HWWミ ヴWマラWS aヴラマ BVldquoD ゲIエララノゲ but the process
that led BVSD to the model it has now に primarily industrially grown and processed foods に reflects the
trends of the last 25 years a reduction of investment in personnel training and ingredients (fig 9)
To change this paradigm BVSD as a community will have to fully support and be passionate about the
opportunity and future of real food (fig 10 11) otherwise the investment in change is lost before it has
begun
In year one the focus in food change will be to improve the ingredients in the reimbursable meal
program and simplify and improve the ingredient content of a la carte foods offered for sale Goals for
ingredient content must be more innovative than the simple 351035 formula that the USDA offers
school districts as their barラマWデWヴ デラ WノデW デエW ノデWゲデ ゲミIニ aララSく さldquoミIニざ エキIエ エゲ ノラミェ エキゲデラヴ キミ BラノSWヴ ミWWSゲ デラ マラヴヮエ キミデラ さマWノがざ and the guidelines on what constitutes food will change from
ingredient listings with ヵヰ キデWマゲ W Iミげデ キSWミデキa デラ WキデエWヴ aララSゲ W ニミラ H ゲight or packaged foods
with ingredients we can easily identify
Use of commodity entitlement funds are a key component of the cost structure in school meals though
さa necessary eviノざ would be the way our study team would describe the commodity entitlement
program Until federal policy shifts on the use and content of commodity entitlement foods we
14 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
ヴWIラママWミS aラIゲキミェ ラミ デエW ノWゲデ さSマェキミェざ キデWマゲ キミ デエW Iラママラdity list avoiding processing and
choosing brown box and raw items
Improvement and implementation of sa lad bars in all elementary and middle schools will be the most
direct and expedient improvement we can make to the overall meal program in year one Facility
improvement and training is critical to this process and shifts will be phased in as the system can
support it
Remove flavored milk from the district Consumption of milk in Boulder is exceptionally high with
annual units sold in excess of 12 million considering the reimbursable meal counts of breakfast and
lunch combined total 132 million meals Flavored milk is driving this volume as its purchase out-
numbers plain milk 4 to 1 Sugar is a powerful draw and the average flavored milk packs an additional
14-16 grams of sugar per serving over plain milk This amounts to 5 to 6 pounds of sugar over the
course of the school year if consumed daily Sugar is the one key ingredient the USDA does not limit in
food product compositions served in American schools Sugared milk simply does not have a place
within innovative program change
Shifting from individually packaged milk to bulk dispensed milk is both efficient and improves the milk
experience as the milk is colder and tastes better The cost savings in bulk dispensing also increases the
possibility of the district being able to afford organic milk
Step Five Facilities Improvements Boulder is fortunate to have kitchens Unfortunately cooking from scratch at all sites is not a practical
or affordable solution Though BVSD has continued to spec and build kitchens for cooking the district
shift to prepackaged food drives those investments to a mute point Very little real food is actually
handled in the district and though it would be fantastic to staff the kitchens with enough people and
In large scale scratch cooking with the goal to provide each child with the same experience leveraging
facilities improvements and personnel into fewer sites is a reasonablW IラマヮヴラマキゲWく Iミ BVldquoDげゲ IゲWが given the current participation and projection that acceptance to real food will take some time cooking
at four regional sites will be possible until a central kitchen facility can be built
To maintain quality food will no longer be transported hot に which though it happens rarely in Boulder
due to the reliance on boxed foods it creates an opportunity for degradation of the food quality (over
cooked) and unsafe transport temperatures A cook and chill bulk operation paired with some cooking
at sites that have enough staff (for example steaming broccoli for service instead of cooking chilling and
reheating broccoli) is a proven method for successful whole foods service where most of the meal is
prepared or prepped at a central site and finished at the satellite as well as the satellite being
responsible for preparation of and maintenance of sa lad bars
In BVSD that means that some sites are over equipped as satellites and some are underequipped For
the most part the underequipped sites fall in the category of the current satellite kitchens4 In addition
4 Site Improvement Overview - Electronic Attachment to Report
15 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
sites that currently have antique equipment sitting under hoods that could be replaced with equipment
like steamers which will enhance the quality of meals are also noted
In year one the critical needs sites will be a priority as well as retro fitting the 4 identified regional
kitchens Louisville Middle School Casey Middle School (when available) Monarch High School and
Fairview High School Changes would be made with an eye toward equipment that could be moved to
the central kitchen when it is built Primary needs are refrigeration dry storage and rapid chilling
equipment
Figure 12 Recipe for Success Staff Training
The Plan - Years Two and Three Ȃ Regional to Central
Marketing and Outreach
The list of challenges presented in year one are great and represent the core of this system change
When considering scratch cooked locally and regionally sourced meals on the scale of a district like
Boulder Valley the efficiency of the system model is critical to enabling a uniform and consistent meal
experience district wide に well prepared excellent ingredients building delicious meal choices In
essence though cooking real food may seem like a gargantuan endeavor the end result is much simpler
in concept than what Boulder Valley has been committed to for a very long time
To maintain the momentum and support for this large scale shift it is imperative that the district actively
commit to Marketing and Outreach which in the language of school food change is simply に education
The Wellness Policy work that will take place as the entry point for this project is the ongoing guide and
measure to successful change Policy that is participated in district wide will inform how the lessons of
wellness that may penetrate curriculum will reinforce and support the activities in the dining rooms
Integrating the educational and equity basis of this change work into the fabric of the district is critical
for the investment in this change to make any sense
16 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Food and Staff
As year two unfolds removal of a la carte and competitive foods will be mirrored by the beginning
implementation of scratch cooked meals The stress of changing habits and implementing new
standards of practice means lots of training and lots of support for the teams working throughout the
district (fig 12)
While the elementary sites may be grappling more with the removal of chicken nuggets the middle
schools and high school students will be facing a very different reality - デエW HゲWミIW ラa デエW さマキミキ-マヴデゲくざ
Staff training focusing on communication and dining room service interface will be very important both
in the first year and continuing as change ramps up
In this model what we remove is being replaced with something we know to be much better even if
there is resistance As the initial months can be extremely challenging for the NSD team on the ground
School and Parental support is critical to successful transition
Facilities and Equipment
In year two we will be continuing the task of updating the schools most in need so that their kitchens
and dining areas are both compatible with the model and not substandard when compared with sites
that have had more updates and attention
The regional sites not having been built as central kitchens will be adjusted also and necessary fixes can
be addressed as they come up but with a central kitchen in view investment in these sites should be
compatible with the larger model
Plans and groundbreaking for a central kitchen early in year two will make it possible to move the
production operations in year three but the heart of this proposal is to give Boulder Valley the time to
move at a pace that is compatible with the available resources and support Because of the layout in the
district and the existing cold storage and warehouse system a central kitchen site in close proximity to
receiving and storage is the most efficient long term solution for the district All the training and
systems that are grown in year two can be transferred to the central kitchen concept in year three or
four so loss of efficiency or redundancy in the process is contained as much as possible
School Support and Schedules
As every administrator knows school schedules are sacred In most districts meal times are treated as a
necessary conditionき デエW エW デラ エヮヮWミが Hデ キデ ラノS HW ェヴWデ キa IエキノSヴWミ SキSミげデ ミWWS aララS ゲゲデWミミIWく Iミ BラノSWヴ VノノW W ニミラ デエWヴWげゲ ゲWIラミSヴ program where that さミラ-ミデヴキWミデゲ ミWWSWSざ dream is
assumed since the high school students affected are not scheduled any time to eat at all
At the elementary level this model should expect to add time for either more meal periods that are
incrementally longer or existing period schedules with more time depending on the volume capacity of
the dining rooms Service lines in almost every elementary school are single lines and if the popularity
of a fresher meal program expands as is hoped more lunch periods that allow for staggering of entry
into the dining room rather than en-mass entrance with a third or half the school population at a time is
key We are aware that there are seating issues now even with very low participation in school meals
17 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
At middle schools with more complex scheduling and students not necessarily moving around their days
in grade blocks more creative stagger schedules may be needed depending on participation levels
At the high schools which possess open campuses the typical routine is not to schedule many meal
periods at all opting for a few blocks of time assuming that not many students will actually attend
High School participation will have to be monitored and scheduling adjusted as needed
The bottom line is that scheduling in a food service model that is undergoing a lot of change needs to be
a part of communication between principals and the NSD office In investing in program change the
district is also investing in culture change and vibrant and dynamic relationships between NSD and the
individual school sites will benefit the district as a whole
Financial Sustainability and Models for Change
If Boulder Valley steps into this change model national attention will be part of the picture and with that
attention the ケWゲデキラミ ラa さエラざ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iミ aaラヴS デラ Sラ デエキゲ ラヴニ キノノ HW Iラミゲデミデ デラヮキI ラa discussion To make the change sustainable will take time to allow for all the facets of the system to be
implemented and mature but throughout this process the NSD will have to continue to bring new
resources to the table
The district is currently not offering any consistent service at the breakfast level despite the fact it has
many employees on site at a majority of schools during the hours needed Understanding the needs and
potential in after school snack programs summer feeding programs and potential-offsite revenue
through catering are all ways to optimize the investment in the food service structure that is available
Yes the NSD needs year round staff to efficiently maintain and grow and that year round work can be
justified as the NSD continues to build resources
Conclusion
Boulder Valley should be commended for even considering making such a huge culture shift and as the
study team we know that Nutrition Services does want to be change-makers but we also know they
cannot do it alone They need the support of the Valley when considering the potential of change We
need to remember that food service workers in schools interact with more of the student body than all
other employees in a school district Lunchrooms can and should be part of the recipe for creating
school environments that nurture children into adults equipped to live long and productive lives and
Boulder has taken a big leap toward entering that groundbreaking arena
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
5 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction
さIa ラ ヴW エデ ラ Wデが デエWミ Iげマ aゲデが IエWヮ ミS Wゲくざ
When Alice Waters of Chez Panisse fame ゲ デエデ ノキミW ラミ HマヮWヴ ゲデキIニWヴが ゲエW ラミSWヴWSが さIゲ デエキゲ ヴWノノ エデ W ミデ デエW SWゲデキミ ラa ラヴ ミデキラミ デラ HWいざ
Why did BVSD decide to take a look at its Nutrition Services practices at this particular point in time
School districts are at a confluence in our nationげゲ SWHデW Hラデ デエW ゲデデW ラa ラヴ childrenげゲ エWノデエ ミS the districtげs role as the incubator for change CエキノSヴWミげゲ health or lack thereof is deemed a hot topic
along with their math and reading skills It is no longer assumed that our children will live long healthy
and productive lives School nutrition is now seen as an avenue of opportunity to push back the wave of
obesity type 2 Diabetes and high blood pressure that threaten our future communities Schools are
also the location of a key social justice pivot point where those with the fewest resources are most
reliant on the institutional system many of us with more resources take for granted
The quest to offer an equitable education includes another basic need of human civilization に food In
デエW BラノSWヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW キミWケキデ ラa デエW さゲミIニ ノキミWざ aラヴIWS ミ ラWヴエノ デラ エデ キゲ ニミラミ ゲ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴざ キミ デエW IaWデWヴキ ノキミWが Hデ デエW WデエキIゲ ラa ミデヴキデキラミ ミS エWノデエ ヴW ゲデキノノ ラWヴIラマW H デエW WIラミラマキIゲ ラa the lunchroom those with more monW キミ デエWキヴ ヮラIニWデゲ ミS aラIゲ ラミ さHヴミSingざ デhat belies the better
intention of Nutrition Services
Schools are where our children spend two thirds of their day They learn many things and create and
practice many habits The habit of grabbing and going versus food flavors and dining is a practice BVSD
is reexamining Food touches every one of us and is often the single common experience that can bring
people together at a table に not to share a bag of Hot Cheetos and a Gatorade but real whole foods -
food with a place a face and traditions This is a goal that is not beyond the reach of the Boulder Valley
School District
Figure 2 Harvest Bar at Creeekside Elementary
6 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
The Plan - Year One Departmental Reorganization
Step One Wellness Policy ʹ Mission Vision Commitment Implementation Critical to the success of any project the parameters of the vision act as a guide to the daily practices In
2006 like all districts receiving federal funds Boulder put in place a wellness policy The policy in
Boulder is well intentioned but does not have enough specifics to really define how practices in the
district will change respond or evaluate progress toward the goals laid out in the policy 1
As a first step prior to changes the district decides to make as a result of this study revisiting all policies
related to wellness and food is imperative Defining the broad brushstrokes of current policy with
clearer finite goals as they relate to nutrition instruction and physical activity will assist and inspire
change2 Coming together as a community to define a more unified vision will help launch the education
needed to garner support not only for the policy but for the practices needed to enact it
Step Two Organizational Chart ʹ Redefining Departmental Structure as a Path to Change Current Organization
Aゲ SキゲデヴキIデ ラa ヲΒがヰヰヰ ゲデSWミデゲ IラWヴキミェ Α マミキIキヮノキデキWゲ キデエキミ Wヴ ノヴェW ェWラェヴヮエキI ヴW BラノSWヴげゲ NSD has carried an organizational structure (fig 3) utilizing a site based management model overseen
from the district main office Direct supervision of the 22 production site managers and the NSD staff of
150 is limited as the office based team of five including one year round employee are busy managing a
$6 million dollar fund
Opportunities for growth in participation improvement in the ingredients quality of preparation and
service is extremely limited with a departmental structure that lacks enough support at the top as well
as enough managerial tools and skill sets to build momentum in a department which touches every child
in the district
1 Wellness Policy and Healthy Activities Guideline httpbvsdorgpoliciesPoliciesADFpdf
Healthy Food Guidelines httpbvsdorgpoliciespoliciesEFA-Rpdf 2 Center for Ecoliteracy Model Wellness Policy Guide httpwwwecoliteracyorgprogramswellness_policyhtml
and on file at Business Services Office
7 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Current Organizational Structure
Figure 3 Current Organizational Structure
Proposed Organization
Within the proposed organizational structure (fig 4) the key elements that will create enough support
and accountability to enact growth are
Year Round Staff
Increasing year round administrative team members to seven including the director assistant
director executive chef procurement manager procurement assistant and two office staff will
create a seamless department capable of planning for and capitalizing on future growth in meal
participation and year round services
Job Descriptions and Categories of Responsibility
Iミ ヴWラヴェミキキミェ SWヮヴデマWミデノ ゲデヴIデヴW キデげゲ ミWIWゲゲヴ デラ ヴWキゲキデ デエW ゲニキノノゲ ミWWSWS デラ ラヮWヴデW デエW SWヮヴデマWミデく Tエキゲ ヴWヮラヴデげゲ マラSWノ キゲ ミamelessfaceless organizational plan which asks that the
district view its goals through the lens of system implementation first and then consider the skill
sets it has at hand to populate this view
Procurement
In looking toward a central kitchen model bringing procurement receiving inventory
management and transportation under the oversight of the NSD with the appropriate skill sets is
the most efficient way to maintain accountability and transparency within the system The
current system which carries a combination of independent ordering overlaid with some system
wide ordering inherently has many opportunities for loss Implementing true perpetual
CFO
NS
Director
Sup ervisor
Training
Sup ervisor
HR
Sup ervisor
Menu
Office
Purch as ing
Office Famp
R
8
Produ ction
Sites
6
Produ ction
Sites
8
Produ ction
Sites
11 Satillite
Sites
10 Satillite
Sites
2 Satillite
Sites
W areho useAccoun ting
8 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
inventory will bring accountability and cost controls to the department that are essential as it
moves to a more complex model of food service Procurement in a model emphasizing
regionally based foods requires building many new relationships and creative distribution
models to optimize the creation of a true local procurement system
Field Supervision
The current model has supervisors covering so many office based duties that their field
supervision in some cases becomes secondary Supervisors subbing on sites have been
commonplace until this year Concurrently the productionsatellite sites are also at a loss to
combine their on-site management with oversight of their satellite kitchens
In the regional and central kitchen model where the type and style of service will change so
dramatically field supervision is the key to maintaining consistency of product and services
through a time of change During the regional kitchen phase the field supervisors will be housed
out in the district and be able to respond to issues both in the kitchens and to the schoolゲげ needs
while maintaining a direct link of communication with the main office
Reporting Structure and Accounting Link
This model requires the NS Director to have a direct report to the CFO and a communication link
with the Superintendent The far reaching impact of this department and the potential
opportunity it has creating equitable nutrition services district wide requires a clear unfettered
line of communication
The Accounting Department has been assisting the NSD to understand their budget model The
study team recommends this valuable accounting specific position not be moved directly into
the NSD but remain as a liaison position housed in the Business Services Department with a
direct report to the NS Director and the CFO
9 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Proposed Organizational Structure
Figure 4 Proposed Organizational Structure
Step Three Budget Model Development3
Operational Cost Support ʹ Expenses and Revenues
In program change of this scale operational support is critical to building the system needed to
create a sustainable model which will meet the goals of the district At current levels district
wide participation in the school meal program is at 26 To change this paradigm of mediocre
participation and poor quality meals the percentages in the budget will swing over a 3 to 4 year
period until the finalized system is up and running for at least a year Critical to sustainable
change is staff training The budget will carry a higher percentage annually for training in the
first three years Exploring the cost of school meals in Boulder Valley is important because
though BVSD raised meal prices for 2008-2009 they have not raised the quality of the actual
ingredients
3 Proposed 09-10 Budget with Comparison - Electronic Attachment to Report
Communication LinkCFO
Sup erin tenden t
NS
Directo r
Ass it
Director
Procu rement
Manager
Executive
Chef
Field
Sup ervisors
Office
F amp R
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Procu rement
Ass is tantStock
Han dlers
Drivers
Stock
Exec
Ass is tant
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Office
Gen eral
Office
Payro ll
10 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
In the implementation of a meal program based on whole foods the weight of responsibility
shifts from offering as many items as the さmini-martゲざ at the Middle or High Schools can handle
to simply preparing and offering real delicious food In implementation of program change
food cost per school meal will rise and food cost and variety of a la carte items will decrease
(fig 5)
Currently food cost of school meals as a percentage of revenue is approximately 38 while food
cost for the a la carte items is 64 The average cost of food for a school meal in BVSD is $100
In the proposed model food cost per meal will be based on $140 Spending the least amount
possible on the ingredients is not the goal Creating meals that look and taste appetizing and
shifting away from the perspective that a la carte is both profitable and necessary is the
direction Boulder needs to headく CノWヴノ デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マWノゲ マニW ヮ デエW ノキラミげゲ ゲエヴW ラa meal revenue and with focus and attention that will continue to increase
The net gain in a la carte is too low to justify the many costs of it in terms of labor and
procurement systems More importantly this focus of salesmanship as a primary component to
the school day simply is not compatible in an educational environment The presumption is that
a la IヴデW さHa laミIWゲ デエW HSェWデざが Hデ キデ エゲ aキノWS デラ Sラ デエデ IラミゲキゲデWミデノ aラヴ ノラミェ デキマW ミS デエW さcostsざ are now to the culture of the children we are educating in this environment
Figure 5 Food Cost as Compared to Percentage of Meal Revenue
Standards of Evaluation ʹ Meals per Labor Hour
In the current model the formula for Meals per Labor Hour (MLPH) has contributed to the assumption
that a la IヴデW キゲ キミIヴWゲキミェ ヴWWミW H ゲWノノキミェ マラヴW さマWノゲざ (fig 6) This assumption depends upon the
number of students served エラWWヴ さマWノ WケキノWミデざ キミ デエW IヴヴWミデ aラヴマノ aラヴ a la carte is $250
At the middle and high school level where a la carte is a predominant theme $250 reflects more of a
snack purchase than a meal In recurrent observations students routinely spent in excess of $5 on a
variety of junk food Unfortunately the potential to create a reimbursable meal within the parameters
of the a la carte choices exists but the emphasis is not on students obtaining a ba lanced nutritious and
high quality meal it is on spending money Due to the costs of the a la carte program the revenue
simply does not justify the さcostsざ In examining the actual volume of students moving through the
ノキミWゲが キデげゲ WゲデキマデWS デエデ マWノ WケキノWミデ ラa マラヴW than $350 is purchased by 42 of the students
purchasing a la carte with an average sale being closer to $500
Using meals per labor hour as way to evaluate performance is a tricky proposition even more so because
the district has lumped the satellite site sales with the production sites sales without really taking into
account that the primary contribution of the production site to the satellite has been storage as so little
11 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
cooking actually happens in advance of a meal In the a la carte model the costs are attributed more to
managing the inventory than to cooking When examining the performance of the satellite sites alone
they are some of the most productive sites in the district usually working with the least skilled staff
fewest hours and poorest facilities (fig 7 8)
Figure 6 Current MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue allocated to Production Only meal equivalent value $250
Figure 7 Proposed MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue evaluated independently meal equivalent value $400 HS $150 Elem
Figure 8 Tight Quarters at Whittier Elementary Satellite Site
12 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Accountability and Transparency Through Seamless Reporting
Use of the variety of software available to the NSD is critical to efficiency in this multi unit meal
program Several key components will need to be implemented to maximize efficiency and
transparency in reporting as follows
1 Full implementation of VBOSS as the primary inventory based food service management tool for
all facets of NSD program
2 LキミニェW ラa VBOldquoldquo Sデ デラ Lゲラミ デ デエW さヮラゲデWS キミラキIWざ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW Iエキミ ラa マラWマWミデ aヴラマ order to receiving Accounting and IT have agreed this is a possible solution and change to a
planned linkage earlier in the flow of records which would not have allowed NSD to use VBOSS
to its full potential
3 Further exploration of long term cost effectiveness of DBS Point of Sale program as the primary
tool for on-site sales and records for State and Federal review Use of VBOSS for POS would
expand the transparency of the movement of purchased and produced goods from warehouse
to central kitchen to student but further review is needed
4 Implementation of a fully cashless system at all grade levels
The continued implementation of POS systems throughout federally funded school districts is a
direct response to the inequity of federally funded free and reduced meal recipients being
キSWミデキaキWS キミ デエW ノミIエヴララマく Cラママラミ デラ デエキゲ ヮヴIデキIW キゲ ゲWヮヴデW さaヴWW マWノざ ノキミWく Tエラェエ Boulder has moved to a blended line as well as a POS style service its willingness to continue to
accept cash particularly at Middle and High School operations highlights and enlarges the still
obvious inequity of dining in the Boulder Valley School District In addition the labor and
potential loss in the burden of managing a cash operation can be immediately eliminated by
only accepting money for account funding に and even then it does not have to happen during
meals which slows down the line
5 Implementation of electronic time clocks linked directly to Lawson which will eliminate the
paper trails currently in use and create a more efficient interface with which to manage large
hourly staff in the department second only to transportation as far as size in the district
6 Tracking of reimbursable meal costs as a separate category from a la carte meal costs
13 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Step Four Food and Menu
Figure 9 Examples of A la Carte a School Meal and Menu Meal Components in Boulder Valley
Figure 10 Scratch Middle School Lunch California Figure 11 Scratch Elementary Lunch Michigan
Aゲ ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ ゲデS デエW さゲラSキマ ゲラヮゲざ エW HWWミ ヴWマラWS aヴラマ BVldquoD ゲIエララノゲ but the process
that led BVSD to the model it has now に primarily industrially grown and processed foods に reflects the
trends of the last 25 years a reduction of investment in personnel training and ingredients (fig 9)
To change this paradigm BVSD as a community will have to fully support and be passionate about the
opportunity and future of real food (fig 10 11) otherwise the investment in change is lost before it has
begun
In year one the focus in food change will be to improve the ingredients in the reimbursable meal
program and simplify and improve the ingredient content of a la carte foods offered for sale Goals for
ingredient content must be more innovative than the simple 351035 formula that the USDA offers
school districts as their barラマWデWヴ デラ WノデW デエW ノデWゲデ ゲミIニ aララSく さldquoミIニざ エキIエ エゲ ノラミェ エキゲデラヴ キミ BラノSWヴ ミWWSゲ デラ マラヴヮエ キミデラ さマWノがざ and the guidelines on what constitutes food will change from
ingredient listings with ヵヰ キデWマゲ W Iミげデ キSWミデキa デラ WキデエWヴ aララSゲ W ニミラ H ゲight or packaged foods
with ingredients we can easily identify
Use of commodity entitlement funds are a key component of the cost structure in school meals though
さa necessary eviノざ would be the way our study team would describe the commodity entitlement
program Until federal policy shifts on the use and content of commodity entitlement foods we
14 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
ヴWIラママWミS aラIゲキミェ ラミ デエW ノWゲデ さSマェキミェざ キデWマゲ キミ デエW Iラママラdity list avoiding processing and
choosing brown box and raw items
Improvement and implementation of sa lad bars in all elementary and middle schools will be the most
direct and expedient improvement we can make to the overall meal program in year one Facility
improvement and training is critical to this process and shifts will be phased in as the system can
support it
Remove flavored milk from the district Consumption of milk in Boulder is exceptionally high with
annual units sold in excess of 12 million considering the reimbursable meal counts of breakfast and
lunch combined total 132 million meals Flavored milk is driving this volume as its purchase out-
numbers plain milk 4 to 1 Sugar is a powerful draw and the average flavored milk packs an additional
14-16 grams of sugar per serving over plain milk This amounts to 5 to 6 pounds of sugar over the
course of the school year if consumed daily Sugar is the one key ingredient the USDA does not limit in
food product compositions served in American schools Sugared milk simply does not have a place
within innovative program change
Shifting from individually packaged milk to bulk dispensed milk is both efficient and improves the milk
experience as the milk is colder and tastes better The cost savings in bulk dispensing also increases the
possibility of the district being able to afford organic milk
Step Five Facilities Improvements Boulder is fortunate to have kitchens Unfortunately cooking from scratch at all sites is not a practical
or affordable solution Though BVSD has continued to spec and build kitchens for cooking the district
shift to prepackaged food drives those investments to a mute point Very little real food is actually
handled in the district and though it would be fantastic to staff the kitchens with enough people and
In large scale scratch cooking with the goal to provide each child with the same experience leveraging
facilities improvements and personnel into fewer sites is a reasonablW IラマヮヴラマキゲWく Iミ BVldquoDげゲ IゲWが given the current participation and projection that acceptance to real food will take some time cooking
at four regional sites will be possible until a central kitchen facility can be built
To maintain quality food will no longer be transported hot に which though it happens rarely in Boulder
due to the reliance on boxed foods it creates an opportunity for degradation of the food quality (over
cooked) and unsafe transport temperatures A cook and chill bulk operation paired with some cooking
at sites that have enough staff (for example steaming broccoli for service instead of cooking chilling and
reheating broccoli) is a proven method for successful whole foods service where most of the meal is
prepared or prepped at a central site and finished at the satellite as well as the satellite being
responsible for preparation of and maintenance of sa lad bars
In BVSD that means that some sites are over equipped as satellites and some are underequipped For
the most part the underequipped sites fall in the category of the current satellite kitchens4 In addition
4 Site Improvement Overview - Electronic Attachment to Report
15 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
sites that currently have antique equipment sitting under hoods that could be replaced with equipment
like steamers which will enhance the quality of meals are also noted
In year one the critical needs sites will be a priority as well as retro fitting the 4 identified regional
kitchens Louisville Middle School Casey Middle School (when available) Monarch High School and
Fairview High School Changes would be made with an eye toward equipment that could be moved to
the central kitchen when it is built Primary needs are refrigeration dry storage and rapid chilling
equipment
Figure 12 Recipe for Success Staff Training
The Plan - Years Two and Three Ȃ Regional to Central
Marketing and Outreach
The list of challenges presented in year one are great and represent the core of this system change
When considering scratch cooked locally and regionally sourced meals on the scale of a district like
Boulder Valley the efficiency of the system model is critical to enabling a uniform and consistent meal
experience district wide に well prepared excellent ingredients building delicious meal choices In
essence though cooking real food may seem like a gargantuan endeavor the end result is much simpler
in concept than what Boulder Valley has been committed to for a very long time
To maintain the momentum and support for this large scale shift it is imperative that the district actively
commit to Marketing and Outreach which in the language of school food change is simply に education
The Wellness Policy work that will take place as the entry point for this project is the ongoing guide and
measure to successful change Policy that is participated in district wide will inform how the lessons of
wellness that may penetrate curriculum will reinforce and support the activities in the dining rooms
Integrating the educational and equity basis of this change work into the fabric of the district is critical
for the investment in this change to make any sense
16 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Food and Staff
As year two unfolds removal of a la carte and competitive foods will be mirrored by the beginning
implementation of scratch cooked meals The stress of changing habits and implementing new
standards of practice means lots of training and lots of support for the teams working throughout the
district (fig 12)
While the elementary sites may be grappling more with the removal of chicken nuggets the middle
schools and high school students will be facing a very different reality - デエW HゲWミIW ラa デエW さマキミキ-マヴデゲくざ
Staff training focusing on communication and dining room service interface will be very important both
in the first year and continuing as change ramps up
In this model what we remove is being replaced with something we know to be much better even if
there is resistance As the initial months can be extremely challenging for the NSD team on the ground
School and Parental support is critical to successful transition
Facilities and Equipment
In year two we will be continuing the task of updating the schools most in need so that their kitchens
and dining areas are both compatible with the model and not substandard when compared with sites
that have had more updates and attention
The regional sites not having been built as central kitchens will be adjusted also and necessary fixes can
be addressed as they come up but with a central kitchen in view investment in these sites should be
compatible with the larger model
Plans and groundbreaking for a central kitchen early in year two will make it possible to move the
production operations in year three but the heart of this proposal is to give Boulder Valley the time to
move at a pace that is compatible with the available resources and support Because of the layout in the
district and the existing cold storage and warehouse system a central kitchen site in close proximity to
receiving and storage is the most efficient long term solution for the district All the training and
systems that are grown in year two can be transferred to the central kitchen concept in year three or
four so loss of efficiency or redundancy in the process is contained as much as possible
School Support and Schedules
As every administrator knows school schedules are sacred In most districts meal times are treated as a
necessary conditionき デエW エW デラ エヮヮWミが Hデ キデ ラノS HW ェヴWデ キa IエキノSヴWミ SキSミげデ ミWWS aララS ゲゲデWミミIWく Iミ BラノSWヴ VノノW W ニミラ デエWヴWげゲ ゲWIラミSヴ program where that さミラ-ミデヴキWミデゲ ミWWSWSざ dream is
assumed since the high school students affected are not scheduled any time to eat at all
At the elementary level this model should expect to add time for either more meal periods that are
incrementally longer or existing period schedules with more time depending on the volume capacity of
the dining rooms Service lines in almost every elementary school are single lines and if the popularity
of a fresher meal program expands as is hoped more lunch periods that allow for staggering of entry
into the dining room rather than en-mass entrance with a third or half the school population at a time is
key We are aware that there are seating issues now even with very low participation in school meals
17 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
At middle schools with more complex scheduling and students not necessarily moving around their days
in grade blocks more creative stagger schedules may be needed depending on participation levels
At the high schools which possess open campuses the typical routine is not to schedule many meal
periods at all opting for a few blocks of time assuming that not many students will actually attend
High School participation will have to be monitored and scheduling adjusted as needed
The bottom line is that scheduling in a food service model that is undergoing a lot of change needs to be
a part of communication between principals and the NSD office In investing in program change the
district is also investing in culture change and vibrant and dynamic relationships between NSD and the
individual school sites will benefit the district as a whole
Financial Sustainability and Models for Change
If Boulder Valley steps into this change model national attention will be part of the picture and with that
attention the ケWゲデキラミ ラa さエラざ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iミ aaラヴS デラ Sラ デエキゲ ラヴニ キノノ HW Iラミゲデミデ デラヮキI ラa discussion To make the change sustainable will take time to allow for all the facets of the system to be
implemented and mature but throughout this process the NSD will have to continue to bring new
resources to the table
The district is currently not offering any consistent service at the breakfast level despite the fact it has
many employees on site at a majority of schools during the hours needed Understanding the needs and
potential in after school snack programs summer feeding programs and potential-offsite revenue
through catering are all ways to optimize the investment in the food service structure that is available
Yes the NSD needs year round staff to efficiently maintain and grow and that year round work can be
justified as the NSD continues to build resources
Conclusion
Boulder Valley should be commended for even considering making such a huge culture shift and as the
study team we know that Nutrition Services does want to be change-makers but we also know they
cannot do it alone They need the support of the Valley when considering the potential of change We
need to remember that food service workers in schools interact with more of the student body than all
other employees in a school district Lunchrooms can and should be part of the recipe for creating
school environments that nurture children into adults equipped to live long and productive lives and
Boulder has taken a big leap toward entering that groundbreaking arena
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
6 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
The Plan - Year One Departmental Reorganization
Step One Wellness Policy ʹ Mission Vision Commitment Implementation Critical to the success of any project the parameters of the vision act as a guide to the daily practices In
2006 like all districts receiving federal funds Boulder put in place a wellness policy The policy in
Boulder is well intentioned but does not have enough specifics to really define how practices in the
district will change respond or evaluate progress toward the goals laid out in the policy 1
As a first step prior to changes the district decides to make as a result of this study revisiting all policies
related to wellness and food is imperative Defining the broad brushstrokes of current policy with
clearer finite goals as they relate to nutrition instruction and physical activity will assist and inspire
change2 Coming together as a community to define a more unified vision will help launch the education
needed to garner support not only for the policy but for the practices needed to enact it
Step Two Organizational Chart ʹ Redefining Departmental Structure as a Path to Change Current Organization
Aゲ SキゲデヴキIデ ラa ヲΒがヰヰヰ ゲデSWミデゲ IラWヴキミェ Α マミキIキヮノキデキWゲ キデエキミ Wヴ ノヴェW ェWラェヴヮエキI ヴW BラノSWヴげゲ NSD has carried an organizational structure (fig 3) utilizing a site based management model overseen
from the district main office Direct supervision of the 22 production site managers and the NSD staff of
150 is limited as the office based team of five including one year round employee are busy managing a
$6 million dollar fund
Opportunities for growth in participation improvement in the ingredients quality of preparation and
service is extremely limited with a departmental structure that lacks enough support at the top as well
as enough managerial tools and skill sets to build momentum in a department which touches every child
in the district
1 Wellness Policy and Healthy Activities Guideline httpbvsdorgpoliciesPoliciesADFpdf
Healthy Food Guidelines httpbvsdorgpoliciespoliciesEFA-Rpdf 2 Center for Ecoliteracy Model Wellness Policy Guide httpwwwecoliteracyorgprogramswellness_policyhtml
and on file at Business Services Office
7 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Current Organizational Structure
Figure 3 Current Organizational Structure
Proposed Organization
Within the proposed organizational structure (fig 4) the key elements that will create enough support
and accountability to enact growth are
Year Round Staff
Increasing year round administrative team members to seven including the director assistant
director executive chef procurement manager procurement assistant and two office staff will
create a seamless department capable of planning for and capitalizing on future growth in meal
participation and year round services
Job Descriptions and Categories of Responsibility
Iミ ヴWラヴェミキキミェ SWヮヴデマWミデノ ゲデヴIデヴW キデげゲ ミWIWゲゲヴ デラ ヴWキゲキデ デエW ゲニキノノゲ ミWWSWS デラ ラヮWヴデW デエW SWヮヴデマWミデく Tエキゲ ヴWヮラヴデげゲ マラSWノ キゲ ミamelessfaceless organizational plan which asks that the
district view its goals through the lens of system implementation first and then consider the skill
sets it has at hand to populate this view
Procurement
In looking toward a central kitchen model bringing procurement receiving inventory
management and transportation under the oversight of the NSD with the appropriate skill sets is
the most efficient way to maintain accountability and transparency within the system The
current system which carries a combination of independent ordering overlaid with some system
wide ordering inherently has many opportunities for loss Implementing true perpetual
CFO
NS
Director
Sup ervisor
Training
Sup ervisor
HR
Sup ervisor
Menu
Office
Purch as ing
Office Famp
R
8
Produ ction
Sites
6
Produ ction
Sites
8
Produ ction
Sites
11 Satillite
Sites
10 Satillite
Sites
2 Satillite
Sites
W areho useAccoun ting
8 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
inventory will bring accountability and cost controls to the department that are essential as it
moves to a more complex model of food service Procurement in a model emphasizing
regionally based foods requires building many new relationships and creative distribution
models to optimize the creation of a true local procurement system
Field Supervision
The current model has supervisors covering so many office based duties that their field
supervision in some cases becomes secondary Supervisors subbing on sites have been
commonplace until this year Concurrently the productionsatellite sites are also at a loss to
combine their on-site management with oversight of their satellite kitchens
In the regional and central kitchen model where the type and style of service will change so
dramatically field supervision is the key to maintaining consistency of product and services
through a time of change During the regional kitchen phase the field supervisors will be housed
out in the district and be able to respond to issues both in the kitchens and to the schoolゲげ needs
while maintaining a direct link of communication with the main office
Reporting Structure and Accounting Link
This model requires the NS Director to have a direct report to the CFO and a communication link
with the Superintendent The far reaching impact of this department and the potential
opportunity it has creating equitable nutrition services district wide requires a clear unfettered
line of communication
The Accounting Department has been assisting the NSD to understand their budget model The
study team recommends this valuable accounting specific position not be moved directly into
the NSD but remain as a liaison position housed in the Business Services Department with a
direct report to the NS Director and the CFO
9 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Proposed Organizational Structure
Figure 4 Proposed Organizational Structure
Step Three Budget Model Development3
Operational Cost Support ʹ Expenses and Revenues
In program change of this scale operational support is critical to building the system needed to
create a sustainable model which will meet the goals of the district At current levels district
wide participation in the school meal program is at 26 To change this paradigm of mediocre
participation and poor quality meals the percentages in the budget will swing over a 3 to 4 year
period until the finalized system is up and running for at least a year Critical to sustainable
change is staff training The budget will carry a higher percentage annually for training in the
first three years Exploring the cost of school meals in Boulder Valley is important because
though BVSD raised meal prices for 2008-2009 they have not raised the quality of the actual
ingredients
3 Proposed 09-10 Budget with Comparison - Electronic Attachment to Report
Communication LinkCFO
Sup erin tenden t
NS
Directo r
Ass it
Director
Procu rement
Manager
Executive
Chef
Field
Sup ervisors
Office
F amp R
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Procu rement
Ass is tantStock
Han dlers
Drivers
Stock
Exec
Ass is tant
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Office
Gen eral
Office
Payro ll
10 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
In the implementation of a meal program based on whole foods the weight of responsibility
shifts from offering as many items as the さmini-martゲざ at the Middle or High Schools can handle
to simply preparing and offering real delicious food In implementation of program change
food cost per school meal will rise and food cost and variety of a la carte items will decrease
(fig 5)
Currently food cost of school meals as a percentage of revenue is approximately 38 while food
cost for the a la carte items is 64 The average cost of food for a school meal in BVSD is $100
In the proposed model food cost per meal will be based on $140 Spending the least amount
possible on the ingredients is not the goal Creating meals that look and taste appetizing and
shifting away from the perspective that a la carte is both profitable and necessary is the
direction Boulder needs to headく CノWヴノ デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マWノゲ マニW ヮ デエW ノキラミげゲ ゲエヴW ラa meal revenue and with focus and attention that will continue to increase
The net gain in a la carte is too low to justify the many costs of it in terms of labor and
procurement systems More importantly this focus of salesmanship as a primary component to
the school day simply is not compatible in an educational environment The presumption is that
a la IヴデW さHa laミIWゲ デエW HSェWデざが Hデ キデ エゲ aキノWS デラ Sラ デエデ IラミゲキゲデWミデノ aラヴ ノラミェ デキマW ミS デエW さcostsざ are now to the culture of the children we are educating in this environment
Figure 5 Food Cost as Compared to Percentage of Meal Revenue
Standards of Evaluation ʹ Meals per Labor Hour
In the current model the formula for Meals per Labor Hour (MLPH) has contributed to the assumption
that a la IヴデW キゲ キミIヴWゲキミェ ヴWWミW H ゲWノノキミェ マラヴW さマWノゲざ (fig 6) This assumption depends upon the
number of students served エラWWヴ さマWノ WケキノWミデざ キミ デエW IヴヴWミデ aラヴマノ aラヴ a la carte is $250
At the middle and high school level where a la carte is a predominant theme $250 reflects more of a
snack purchase than a meal In recurrent observations students routinely spent in excess of $5 on a
variety of junk food Unfortunately the potential to create a reimbursable meal within the parameters
of the a la carte choices exists but the emphasis is not on students obtaining a ba lanced nutritious and
high quality meal it is on spending money Due to the costs of the a la carte program the revenue
simply does not justify the さcostsざ In examining the actual volume of students moving through the
ノキミWゲが キデげゲ WゲデキマデWS デエデ マWノ WケキノWミデ ラa マラヴW than $350 is purchased by 42 of the students
purchasing a la carte with an average sale being closer to $500
Using meals per labor hour as way to evaluate performance is a tricky proposition even more so because
the district has lumped the satellite site sales with the production sites sales without really taking into
account that the primary contribution of the production site to the satellite has been storage as so little
11 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
cooking actually happens in advance of a meal In the a la carte model the costs are attributed more to
managing the inventory than to cooking When examining the performance of the satellite sites alone
they are some of the most productive sites in the district usually working with the least skilled staff
fewest hours and poorest facilities (fig 7 8)
Figure 6 Current MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue allocated to Production Only meal equivalent value $250
Figure 7 Proposed MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue evaluated independently meal equivalent value $400 HS $150 Elem
Figure 8 Tight Quarters at Whittier Elementary Satellite Site
12 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Accountability and Transparency Through Seamless Reporting
Use of the variety of software available to the NSD is critical to efficiency in this multi unit meal
program Several key components will need to be implemented to maximize efficiency and
transparency in reporting as follows
1 Full implementation of VBOSS as the primary inventory based food service management tool for
all facets of NSD program
2 LキミニェW ラa VBOldquoldquo Sデ デラ Lゲラミ デ デエW さヮラゲデWS キミラキIWざ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW Iエキミ ラa マラWマWミデ aヴラマ order to receiving Accounting and IT have agreed this is a possible solution and change to a
planned linkage earlier in the flow of records which would not have allowed NSD to use VBOSS
to its full potential
3 Further exploration of long term cost effectiveness of DBS Point of Sale program as the primary
tool for on-site sales and records for State and Federal review Use of VBOSS for POS would
expand the transparency of the movement of purchased and produced goods from warehouse
to central kitchen to student but further review is needed
4 Implementation of a fully cashless system at all grade levels
The continued implementation of POS systems throughout federally funded school districts is a
direct response to the inequity of federally funded free and reduced meal recipients being
キSWミデキaキWS キミ デエW ノミIエヴララマく Cラママラミ デラ デエキゲ ヮヴIデキIW キゲ ゲWヮヴデW さaヴWW マWノざ ノキミWく Tエラェエ Boulder has moved to a blended line as well as a POS style service its willingness to continue to
accept cash particularly at Middle and High School operations highlights and enlarges the still
obvious inequity of dining in the Boulder Valley School District In addition the labor and
potential loss in the burden of managing a cash operation can be immediately eliminated by
only accepting money for account funding に and even then it does not have to happen during
meals which slows down the line
5 Implementation of electronic time clocks linked directly to Lawson which will eliminate the
paper trails currently in use and create a more efficient interface with which to manage large
hourly staff in the department second only to transportation as far as size in the district
6 Tracking of reimbursable meal costs as a separate category from a la carte meal costs
13 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Step Four Food and Menu
Figure 9 Examples of A la Carte a School Meal and Menu Meal Components in Boulder Valley
Figure 10 Scratch Middle School Lunch California Figure 11 Scratch Elementary Lunch Michigan
Aゲ ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ ゲデS デエW さゲラSキマ ゲラヮゲざ エW HWWミ ヴWマラWS aヴラマ BVldquoD ゲIエララノゲ but the process
that led BVSD to the model it has now に primarily industrially grown and processed foods に reflects the
trends of the last 25 years a reduction of investment in personnel training and ingredients (fig 9)
To change this paradigm BVSD as a community will have to fully support and be passionate about the
opportunity and future of real food (fig 10 11) otherwise the investment in change is lost before it has
begun
In year one the focus in food change will be to improve the ingredients in the reimbursable meal
program and simplify and improve the ingredient content of a la carte foods offered for sale Goals for
ingredient content must be more innovative than the simple 351035 formula that the USDA offers
school districts as their barラマWデWヴ デラ WノデW デエW ノデWゲデ ゲミIニ aララSく さldquoミIニざ エキIエ エゲ ノラミェ エキゲデラヴ キミ BラノSWヴ ミWWSゲ デラ マラヴヮエ キミデラ さマWノがざ and the guidelines on what constitutes food will change from
ingredient listings with ヵヰ キデWマゲ W Iミげデ キSWミデキa デラ WキデエWヴ aララSゲ W ニミラ H ゲight or packaged foods
with ingredients we can easily identify
Use of commodity entitlement funds are a key component of the cost structure in school meals though
さa necessary eviノざ would be the way our study team would describe the commodity entitlement
program Until federal policy shifts on the use and content of commodity entitlement foods we
14 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
ヴWIラママWミS aラIゲキミェ ラミ デエW ノWゲデ さSマェキミェざ キデWマゲ キミ デエW Iラママラdity list avoiding processing and
choosing brown box and raw items
Improvement and implementation of sa lad bars in all elementary and middle schools will be the most
direct and expedient improvement we can make to the overall meal program in year one Facility
improvement and training is critical to this process and shifts will be phased in as the system can
support it
Remove flavored milk from the district Consumption of milk in Boulder is exceptionally high with
annual units sold in excess of 12 million considering the reimbursable meal counts of breakfast and
lunch combined total 132 million meals Flavored milk is driving this volume as its purchase out-
numbers plain milk 4 to 1 Sugar is a powerful draw and the average flavored milk packs an additional
14-16 grams of sugar per serving over plain milk This amounts to 5 to 6 pounds of sugar over the
course of the school year if consumed daily Sugar is the one key ingredient the USDA does not limit in
food product compositions served in American schools Sugared milk simply does not have a place
within innovative program change
Shifting from individually packaged milk to bulk dispensed milk is both efficient and improves the milk
experience as the milk is colder and tastes better The cost savings in bulk dispensing also increases the
possibility of the district being able to afford organic milk
Step Five Facilities Improvements Boulder is fortunate to have kitchens Unfortunately cooking from scratch at all sites is not a practical
or affordable solution Though BVSD has continued to spec and build kitchens for cooking the district
shift to prepackaged food drives those investments to a mute point Very little real food is actually
handled in the district and though it would be fantastic to staff the kitchens with enough people and
In large scale scratch cooking with the goal to provide each child with the same experience leveraging
facilities improvements and personnel into fewer sites is a reasonablW IラマヮヴラマキゲWく Iミ BVldquoDげゲ IゲWが given the current participation and projection that acceptance to real food will take some time cooking
at four regional sites will be possible until a central kitchen facility can be built
To maintain quality food will no longer be transported hot に which though it happens rarely in Boulder
due to the reliance on boxed foods it creates an opportunity for degradation of the food quality (over
cooked) and unsafe transport temperatures A cook and chill bulk operation paired with some cooking
at sites that have enough staff (for example steaming broccoli for service instead of cooking chilling and
reheating broccoli) is a proven method for successful whole foods service where most of the meal is
prepared or prepped at a central site and finished at the satellite as well as the satellite being
responsible for preparation of and maintenance of sa lad bars
In BVSD that means that some sites are over equipped as satellites and some are underequipped For
the most part the underequipped sites fall in the category of the current satellite kitchens4 In addition
4 Site Improvement Overview - Electronic Attachment to Report
15 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
sites that currently have antique equipment sitting under hoods that could be replaced with equipment
like steamers which will enhance the quality of meals are also noted
In year one the critical needs sites will be a priority as well as retro fitting the 4 identified regional
kitchens Louisville Middle School Casey Middle School (when available) Monarch High School and
Fairview High School Changes would be made with an eye toward equipment that could be moved to
the central kitchen when it is built Primary needs are refrigeration dry storage and rapid chilling
equipment
Figure 12 Recipe for Success Staff Training
The Plan - Years Two and Three Ȃ Regional to Central
Marketing and Outreach
The list of challenges presented in year one are great and represent the core of this system change
When considering scratch cooked locally and regionally sourced meals on the scale of a district like
Boulder Valley the efficiency of the system model is critical to enabling a uniform and consistent meal
experience district wide に well prepared excellent ingredients building delicious meal choices In
essence though cooking real food may seem like a gargantuan endeavor the end result is much simpler
in concept than what Boulder Valley has been committed to for a very long time
To maintain the momentum and support for this large scale shift it is imperative that the district actively
commit to Marketing and Outreach which in the language of school food change is simply に education
The Wellness Policy work that will take place as the entry point for this project is the ongoing guide and
measure to successful change Policy that is participated in district wide will inform how the lessons of
wellness that may penetrate curriculum will reinforce and support the activities in the dining rooms
Integrating the educational and equity basis of this change work into the fabric of the district is critical
for the investment in this change to make any sense
16 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Food and Staff
As year two unfolds removal of a la carte and competitive foods will be mirrored by the beginning
implementation of scratch cooked meals The stress of changing habits and implementing new
standards of practice means lots of training and lots of support for the teams working throughout the
district (fig 12)
While the elementary sites may be grappling more with the removal of chicken nuggets the middle
schools and high school students will be facing a very different reality - デエW HゲWミIW ラa デエW さマキミキ-マヴデゲくざ
Staff training focusing on communication and dining room service interface will be very important both
in the first year and continuing as change ramps up
In this model what we remove is being replaced with something we know to be much better even if
there is resistance As the initial months can be extremely challenging for the NSD team on the ground
School and Parental support is critical to successful transition
Facilities and Equipment
In year two we will be continuing the task of updating the schools most in need so that their kitchens
and dining areas are both compatible with the model and not substandard when compared with sites
that have had more updates and attention
The regional sites not having been built as central kitchens will be adjusted also and necessary fixes can
be addressed as they come up but with a central kitchen in view investment in these sites should be
compatible with the larger model
Plans and groundbreaking for a central kitchen early in year two will make it possible to move the
production operations in year three but the heart of this proposal is to give Boulder Valley the time to
move at a pace that is compatible with the available resources and support Because of the layout in the
district and the existing cold storage and warehouse system a central kitchen site in close proximity to
receiving and storage is the most efficient long term solution for the district All the training and
systems that are grown in year two can be transferred to the central kitchen concept in year three or
four so loss of efficiency or redundancy in the process is contained as much as possible
School Support and Schedules
As every administrator knows school schedules are sacred In most districts meal times are treated as a
necessary conditionき デエW エW デラ エヮヮWミが Hデ キデ ラノS HW ェヴWデ キa IエキノSヴWミ SキSミげデ ミWWS aララS ゲゲデWミミIWく Iミ BラノSWヴ VノノW W ニミラ デエWヴWげゲ ゲWIラミSヴ program where that さミラ-ミデヴキWミデゲ ミWWSWSざ dream is
assumed since the high school students affected are not scheduled any time to eat at all
At the elementary level this model should expect to add time for either more meal periods that are
incrementally longer or existing period schedules with more time depending on the volume capacity of
the dining rooms Service lines in almost every elementary school are single lines and if the popularity
of a fresher meal program expands as is hoped more lunch periods that allow for staggering of entry
into the dining room rather than en-mass entrance with a third or half the school population at a time is
key We are aware that there are seating issues now even with very low participation in school meals
17 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
At middle schools with more complex scheduling and students not necessarily moving around their days
in grade blocks more creative stagger schedules may be needed depending on participation levels
At the high schools which possess open campuses the typical routine is not to schedule many meal
periods at all opting for a few blocks of time assuming that not many students will actually attend
High School participation will have to be monitored and scheduling adjusted as needed
The bottom line is that scheduling in a food service model that is undergoing a lot of change needs to be
a part of communication between principals and the NSD office In investing in program change the
district is also investing in culture change and vibrant and dynamic relationships between NSD and the
individual school sites will benefit the district as a whole
Financial Sustainability and Models for Change
If Boulder Valley steps into this change model national attention will be part of the picture and with that
attention the ケWゲデキラミ ラa さエラざ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iミ aaラヴS デラ Sラ デエキゲ ラヴニ キノノ HW Iラミゲデミデ デラヮキI ラa discussion To make the change sustainable will take time to allow for all the facets of the system to be
implemented and mature but throughout this process the NSD will have to continue to bring new
resources to the table
The district is currently not offering any consistent service at the breakfast level despite the fact it has
many employees on site at a majority of schools during the hours needed Understanding the needs and
potential in after school snack programs summer feeding programs and potential-offsite revenue
through catering are all ways to optimize the investment in the food service structure that is available
Yes the NSD needs year round staff to efficiently maintain and grow and that year round work can be
justified as the NSD continues to build resources
Conclusion
Boulder Valley should be commended for even considering making such a huge culture shift and as the
study team we know that Nutrition Services does want to be change-makers but we also know they
cannot do it alone They need the support of the Valley when considering the potential of change We
need to remember that food service workers in schools interact with more of the student body than all
other employees in a school district Lunchrooms can and should be part of the recipe for creating
school environments that nurture children into adults equipped to live long and productive lives and
Boulder has taken a big leap toward entering that groundbreaking arena
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
7 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Current Organizational Structure
Figure 3 Current Organizational Structure
Proposed Organization
Within the proposed organizational structure (fig 4) the key elements that will create enough support
and accountability to enact growth are
Year Round Staff
Increasing year round administrative team members to seven including the director assistant
director executive chef procurement manager procurement assistant and two office staff will
create a seamless department capable of planning for and capitalizing on future growth in meal
participation and year round services
Job Descriptions and Categories of Responsibility
Iミ ヴWラヴェミキキミェ SWヮヴデマWミデノ ゲデヴIデヴW キデげゲ ミWIWゲゲヴ デラ ヴWキゲキデ デエW ゲニキノノゲ ミWWSWS デラ ラヮWヴデW デエW SWヮヴデマWミデく Tエキゲ ヴWヮラヴデげゲ マラSWノ キゲ ミamelessfaceless organizational plan which asks that the
district view its goals through the lens of system implementation first and then consider the skill
sets it has at hand to populate this view
Procurement
In looking toward a central kitchen model bringing procurement receiving inventory
management and transportation under the oversight of the NSD with the appropriate skill sets is
the most efficient way to maintain accountability and transparency within the system The
current system which carries a combination of independent ordering overlaid with some system
wide ordering inherently has many opportunities for loss Implementing true perpetual
CFO
NS
Director
Sup ervisor
Training
Sup ervisor
HR
Sup ervisor
Menu
Office
Purch as ing
Office Famp
R
8
Produ ction
Sites
6
Produ ction
Sites
8
Produ ction
Sites
11 Satillite
Sites
10 Satillite
Sites
2 Satillite
Sites
W areho useAccoun ting
8 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
inventory will bring accountability and cost controls to the department that are essential as it
moves to a more complex model of food service Procurement in a model emphasizing
regionally based foods requires building many new relationships and creative distribution
models to optimize the creation of a true local procurement system
Field Supervision
The current model has supervisors covering so many office based duties that their field
supervision in some cases becomes secondary Supervisors subbing on sites have been
commonplace until this year Concurrently the productionsatellite sites are also at a loss to
combine their on-site management with oversight of their satellite kitchens
In the regional and central kitchen model where the type and style of service will change so
dramatically field supervision is the key to maintaining consistency of product and services
through a time of change During the regional kitchen phase the field supervisors will be housed
out in the district and be able to respond to issues both in the kitchens and to the schoolゲげ needs
while maintaining a direct link of communication with the main office
Reporting Structure and Accounting Link
This model requires the NS Director to have a direct report to the CFO and a communication link
with the Superintendent The far reaching impact of this department and the potential
opportunity it has creating equitable nutrition services district wide requires a clear unfettered
line of communication
The Accounting Department has been assisting the NSD to understand their budget model The
study team recommends this valuable accounting specific position not be moved directly into
the NSD but remain as a liaison position housed in the Business Services Department with a
direct report to the NS Director and the CFO
9 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Proposed Organizational Structure
Figure 4 Proposed Organizational Structure
Step Three Budget Model Development3
Operational Cost Support ʹ Expenses and Revenues
In program change of this scale operational support is critical to building the system needed to
create a sustainable model which will meet the goals of the district At current levels district
wide participation in the school meal program is at 26 To change this paradigm of mediocre
participation and poor quality meals the percentages in the budget will swing over a 3 to 4 year
period until the finalized system is up and running for at least a year Critical to sustainable
change is staff training The budget will carry a higher percentage annually for training in the
first three years Exploring the cost of school meals in Boulder Valley is important because
though BVSD raised meal prices for 2008-2009 they have not raised the quality of the actual
ingredients
3 Proposed 09-10 Budget with Comparison - Electronic Attachment to Report
Communication LinkCFO
Sup erin tenden t
NS
Directo r
Ass it
Director
Procu rement
Manager
Executive
Chef
Field
Sup ervisors
Office
F amp R
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Procu rement
Ass is tantStock
Han dlers
Drivers
Stock
Exec
Ass is tant
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Office
Gen eral
Office
Payro ll
10 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
In the implementation of a meal program based on whole foods the weight of responsibility
shifts from offering as many items as the さmini-martゲざ at the Middle or High Schools can handle
to simply preparing and offering real delicious food In implementation of program change
food cost per school meal will rise and food cost and variety of a la carte items will decrease
(fig 5)
Currently food cost of school meals as a percentage of revenue is approximately 38 while food
cost for the a la carte items is 64 The average cost of food for a school meal in BVSD is $100
In the proposed model food cost per meal will be based on $140 Spending the least amount
possible on the ingredients is not the goal Creating meals that look and taste appetizing and
shifting away from the perspective that a la carte is both profitable and necessary is the
direction Boulder needs to headく CノWヴノ デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マWノゲ マニW ヮ デエW ノキラミげゲ ゲエヴW ラa meal revenue and with focus and attention that will continue to increase
The net gain in a la carte is too low to justify the many costs of it in terms of labor and
procurement systems More importantly this focus of salesmanship as a primary component to
the school day simply is not compatible in an educational environment The presumption is that
a la IヴデW さHa laミIWゲ デエW HSェWデざが Hデ キデ エゲ aキノWS デラ Sラ デエデ IラミゲキゲデWミデノ aラヴ ノラミェ デキマW ミS デエW さcostsざ are now to the culture of the children we are educating in this environment
Figure 5 Food Cost as Compared to Percentage of Meal Revenue
Standards of Evaluation ʹ Meals per Labor Hour
In the current model the formula for Meals per Labor Hour (MLPH) has contributed to the assumption
that a la IヴデW キゲ キミIヴWゲキミェ ヴWWミW H ゲWノノキミェ マラヴW さマWノゲざ (fig 6) This assumption depends upon the
number of students served エラWWヴ さマWノ WケキノWミデざ キミ デエW IヴヴWミデ aラヴマノ aラヴ a la carte is $250
At the middle and high school level where a la carte is a predominant theme $250 reflects more of a
snack purchase than a meal In recurrent observations students routinely spent in excess of $5 on a
variety of junk food Unfortunately the potential to create a reimbursable meal within the parameters
of the a la carte choices exists but the emphasis is not on students obtaining a ba lanced nutritious and
high quality meal it is on spending money Due to the costs of the a la carte program the revenue
simply does not justify the さcostsざ In examining the actual volume of students moving through the
ノキミWゲが キデげゲ WゲデキマデWS デエデ マWノ WケキノWミデ ラa マラヴW than $350 is purchased by 42 of the students
purchasing a la carte with an average sale being closer to $500
Using meals per labor hour as way to evaluate performance is a tricky proposition even more so because
the district has lumped the satellite site sales with the production sites sales without really taking into
account that the primary contribution of the production site to the satellite has been storage as so little
11 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
cooking actually happens in advance of a meal In the a la carte model the costs are attributed more to
managing the inventory than to cooking When examining the performance of the satellite sites alone
they are some of the most productive sites in the district usually working with the least skilled staff
fewest hours and poorest facilities (fig 7 8)
Figure 6 Current MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue allocated to Production Only meal equivalent value $250
Figure 7 Proposed MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue evaluated independently meal equivalent value $400 HS $150 Elem
Figure 8 Tight Quarters at Whittier Elementary Satellite Site
12 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Accountability and Transparency Through Seamless Reporting
Use of the variety of software available to the NSD is critical to efficiency in this multi unit meal
program Several key components will need to be implemented to maximize efficiency and
transparency in reporting as follows
1 Full implementation of VBOSS as the primary inventory based food service management tool for
all facets of NSD program
2 LキミニェW ラa VBOldquoldquo Sデ デラ Lゲラミ デ デエW さヮラゲデWS キミラキIWざ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW Iエキミ ラa マラWマWミデ aヴラマ order to receiving Accounting and IT have agreed this is a possible solution and change to a
planned linkage earlier in the flow of records which would not have allowed NSD to use VBOSS
to its full potential
3 Further exploration of long term cost effectiveness of DBS Point of Sale program as the primary
tool for on-site sales and records for State and Federal review Use of VBOSS for POS would
expand the transparency of the movement of purchased and produced goods from warehouse
to central kitchen to student but further review is needed
4 Implementation of a fully cashless system at all grade levels
The continued implementation of POS systems throughout federally funded school districts is a
direct response to the inequity of federally funded free and reduced meal recipients being
キSWミデキaキWS キミ デエW ノミIエヴララマく Cラママラミ デラ デエキゲ ヮヴIデキIW キゲ ゲWヮヴデW さaヴWW マWノざ ノキミWく Tエラェエ Boulder has moved to a blended line as well as a POS style service its willingness to continue to
accept cash particularly at Middle and High School operations highlights and enlarges the still
obvious inequity of dining in the Boulder Valley School District In addition the labor and
potential loss in the burden of managing a cash operation can be immediately eliminated by
only accepting money for account funding に and even then it does not have to happen during
meals which slows down the line
5 Implementation of electronic time clocks linked directly to Lawson which will eliminate the
paper trails currently in use and create a more efficient interface with which to manage large
hourly staff in the department second only to transportation as far as size in the district
6 Tracking of reimbursable meal costs as a separate category from a la carte meal costs
13 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Step Four Food and Menu
Figure 9 Examples of A la Carte a School Meal and Menu Meal Components in Boulder Valley
Figure 10 Scratch Middle School Lunch California Figure 11 Scratch Elementary Lunch Michigan
Aゲ ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ ゲデS デエW さゲラSキマ ゲラヮゲざ エW HWWミ ヴWマラWS aヴラマ BVldquoD ゲIエララノゲ but the process
that led BVSD to the model it has now に primarily industrially grown and processed foods に reflects the
trends of the last 25 years a reduction of investment in personnel training and ingredients (fig 9)
To change this paradigm BVSD as a community will have to fully support and be passionate about the
opportunity and future of real food (fig 10 11) otherwise the investment in change is lost before it has
begun
In year one the focus in food change will be to improve the ingredients in the reimbursable meal
program and simplify and improve the ingredient content of a la carte foods offered for sale Goals for
ingredient content must be more innovative than the simple 351035 formula that the USDA offers
school districts as their barラマWデWヴ デラ WノデW デエW ノデWゲデ ゲミIニ aララSく さldquoミIニざ エキIエ エゲ ノラミェ エキゲデラヴ キミ BラノSWヴ ミWWSゲ デラ マラヴヮエ キミデラ さマWノがざ and the guidelines on what constitutes food will change from
ingredient listings with ヵヰ キデWマゲ W Iミげデ キSWミデキa デラ WキデエWヴ aララSゲ W ニミラ H ゲight or packaged foods
with ingredients we can easily identify
Use of commodity entitlement funds are a key component of the cost structure in school meals though
さa necessary eviノざ would be the way our study team would describe the commodity entitlement
program Until federal policy shifts on the use and content of commodity entitlement foods we
14 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
ヴWIラママWミS aラIゲキミェ ラミ デエW ノWゲデ さSマェキミェざ キデWマゲ キミ デエW Iラママラdity list avoiding processing and
choosing brown box and raw items
Improvement and implementation of sa lad bars in all elementary and middle schools will be the most
direct and expedient improvement we can make to the overall meal program in year one Facility
improvement and training is critical to this process and shifts will be phased in as the system can
support it
Remove flavored milk from the district Consumption of milk in Boulder is exceptionally high with
annual units sold in excess of 12 million considering the reimbursable meal counts of breakfast and
lunch combined total 132 million meals Flavored milk is driving this volume as its purchase out-
numbers plain milk 4 to 1 Sugar is a powerful draw and the average flavored milk packs an additional
14-16 grams of sugar per serving over plain milk This amounts to 5 to 6 pounds of sugar over the
course of the school year if consumed daily Sugar is the one key ingredient the USDA does not limit in
food product compositions served in American schools Sugared milk simply does not have a place
within innovative program change
Shifting from individually packaged milk to bulk dispensed milk is both efficient and improves the milk
experience as the milk is colder and tastes better The cost savings in bulk dispensing also increases the
possibility of the district being able to afford organic milk
Step Five Facilities Improvements Boulder is fortunate to have kitchens Unfortunately cooking from scratch at all sites is not a practical
or affordable solution Though BVSD has continued to spec and build kitchens for cooking the district
shift to prepackaged food drives those investments to a mute point Very little real food is actually
handled in the district and though it would be fantastic to staff the kitchens with enough people and
In large scale scratch cooking with the goal to provide each child with the same experience leveraging
facilities improvements and personnel into fewer sites is a reasonablW IラマヮヴラマキゲWく Iミ BVldquoDげゲ IゲWが given the current participation and projection that acceptance to real food will take some time cooking
at four regional sites will be possible until a central kitchen facility can be built
To maintain quality food will no longer be transported hot に which though it happens rarely in Boulder
due to the reliance on boxed foods it creates an opportunity for degradation of the food quality (over
cooked) and unsafe transport temperatures A cook and chill bulk operation paired with some cooking
at sites that have enough staff (for example steaming broccoli for service instead of cooking chilling and
reheating broccoli) is a proven method for successful whole foods service where most of the meal is
prepared or prepped at a central site and finished at the satellite as well as the satellite being
responsible for preparation of and maintenance of sa lad bars
In BVSD that means that some sites are over equipped as satellites and some are underequipped For
the most part the underequipped sites fall in the category of the current satellite kitchens4 In addition
4 Site Improvement Overview - Electronic Attachment to Report
15 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
sites that currently have antique equipment sitting under hoods that could be replaced with equipment
like steamers which will enhance the quality of meals are also noted
In year one the critical needs sites will be a priority as well as retro fitting the 4 identified regional
kitchens Louisville Middle School Casey Middle School (when available) Monarch High School and
Fairview High School Changes would be made with an eye toward equipment that could be moved to
the central kitchen when it is built Primary needs are refrigeration dry storage and rapid chilling
equipment
Figure 12 Recipe for Success Staff Training
The Plan - Years Two and Three Ȃ Regional to Central
Marketing and Outreach
The list of challenges presented in year one are great and represent the core of this system change
When considering scratch cooked locally and regionally sourced meals on the scale of a district like
Boulder Valley the efficiency of the system model is critical to enabling a uniform and consistent meal
experience district wide に well prepared excellent ingredients building delicious meal choices In
essence though cooking real food may seem like a gargantuan endeavor the end result is much simpler
in concept than what Boulder Valley has been committed to for a very long time
To maintain the momentum and support for this large scale shift it is imperative that the district actively
commit to Marketing and Outreach which in the language of school food change is simply に education
The Wellness Policy work that will take place as the entry point for this project is the ongoing guide and
measure to successful change Policy that is participated in district wide will inform how the lessons of
wellness that may penetrate curriculum will reinforce and support the activities in the dining rooms
Integrating the educational and equity basis of this change work into the fabric of the district is critical
for the investment in this change to make any sense
16 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Food and Staff
As year two unfolds removal of a la carte and competitive foods will be mirrored by the beginning
implementation of scratch cooked meals The stress of changing habits and implementing new
standards of practice means lots of training and lots of support for the teams working throughout the
district (fig 12)
While the elementary sites may be grappling more with the removal of chicken nuggets the middle
schools and high school students will be facing a very different reality - デエW HゲWミIW ラa デエW さマキミキ-マヴデゲくざ
Staff training focusing on communication and dining room service interface will be very important both
in the first year and continuing as change ramps up
In this model what we remove is being replaced with something we know to be much better even if
there is resistance As the initial months can be extremely challenging for the NSD team on the ground
School and Parental support is critical to successful transition
Facilities and Equipment
In year two we will be continuing the task of updating the schools most in need so that their kitchens
and dining areas are both compatible with the model and not substandard when compared with sites
that have had more updates and attention
The regional sites not having been built as central kitchens will be adjusted also and necessary fixes can
be addressed as they come up but with a central kitchen in view investment in these sites should be
compatible with the larger model
Plans and groundbreaking for a central kitchen early in year two will make it possible to move the
production operations in year three but the heart of this proposal is to give Boulder Valley the time to
move at a pace that is compatible with the available resources and support Because of the layout in the
district and the existing cold storage and warehouse system a central kitchen site in close proximity to
receiving and storage is the most efficient long term solution for the district All the training and
systems that are grown in year two can be transferred to the central kitchen concept in year three or
four so loss of efficiency or redundancy in the process is contained as much as possible
School Support and Schedules
As every administrator knows school schedules are sacred In most districts meal times are treated as a
necessary conditionき デエW エW デラ エヮヮWミが Hデ キデ ラノS HW ェヴWデ キa IエキノSヴWミ SキSミげデ ミWWS aララS ゲゲデWミミIWく Iミ BラノSWヴ VノノW W ニミラ デエWヴWげゲ ゲWIラミSヴ program where that さミラ-ミデヴキWミデゲ ミWWSWSざ dream is
assumed since the high school students affected are not scheduled any time to eat at all
At the elementary level this model should expect to add time for either more meal periods that are
incrementally longer or existing period schedules with more time depending on the volume capacity of
the dining rooms Service lines in almost every elementary school are single lines and if the popularity
of a fresher meal program expands as is hoped more lunch periods that allow for staggering of entry
into the dining room rather than en-mass entrance with a third or half the school population at a time is
key We are aware that there are seating issues now even with very low participation in school meals
17 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
At middle schools with more complex scheduling and students not necessarily moving around their days
in grade blocks more creative stagger schedules may be needed depending on participation levels
At the high schools which possess open campuses the typical routine is not to schedule many meal
periods at all opting for a few blocks of time assuming that not many students will actually attend
High School participation will have to be monitored and scheduling adjusted as needed
The bottom line is that scheduling in a food service model that is undergoing a lot of change needs to be
a part of communication between principals and the NSD office In investing in program change the
district is also investing in culture change and vibrant and dynamic relationships between NSD and the
individual school sites will benefit the district as a whole
Financial Sustainability and Models for Change
If Boulder Valley steps into this change model national attention will be part of the picture and with that
attention the ケWゲデキラミ ラa さエラざ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iミ aaラヴS デラ Sラ デエキゲ ラヴニ キノノ HW Iラミゲデミデ デラヮキI ラa discussion To make the change sustainable will take time to allow for all the facets of the system to be
implemented and mature but throughout this process the NSD will have to continue to bring new
resources to the table
The district is currently not offering any consistent service at the breakfast level despite the fact it has
many employees on site at a majority of schools during the hours needed Understanding the needs and
potential in after school snack programs summer feeding programs and potential-offsite revenue
through catering are all ways to optimize the investment in the food service structure that is available
Yes the NSD needs year round staff to efficiently maintain and grow and that year round work can be
justified as the NSD continues to build resources
Conclusion
Boulder Valley should be commended for even considering making such a huge culture shift and as the
study team we know that Nutrition Services does want to be change-makers but we also know they
cannot do it alone They need the support of the Valley when considering the potential of change We
need to remember that food service workers in schools interact with more of the student body than all
other employees in a school district Lunchrooms can and should be part of the recipe for creating
school environments that nurture children into adults equipped to live long and productive lives and
Boulder has taken a big leap toward entering that groundbreaking arena
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
8 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
inventory will bring accountability and cost controls to the department that are essential as it
moves to a more complex model of food service Procurement in a model emphasizing
regionally based foods requires building many new relationships and creative distribution
models to optimize the creation of a true local procurement system
Field Supervision
The current model has supervisors covering so many office based duties that their field
supervision in some cases becomes secondary Supervisors subbing on sites have been
commonplace until this year Concurrently the productionsatellite sites are also at a loss to
combine their on-site management with oversight of their satellite kitchens
In the regional and central kitchen model where the type and style of service will change so
dramatically field supervision is the key to maintaining consistency of product and services
through a time of change During the regional kitchen phase the field supervisors will be housed
out in the district and be able to respond to issues both in the kitchens and to the schoolゲげ needs
while maintaining a direct link of communication with the main office
Reporting Structure and Accounting Link
This model requires the NS Director to have a direct report to the CFO and a communication link
with the Superintendent The far reaching impact of this department and the potential
opportunity it has creating equitable nutrition services district wide requires a clear unfettered
line of communication
The Accounting Department has been assisting the NSD to understand their budget model The
study team recommends this valuable accounting specific position not be moved directly into
the NSD but remain as a liaison position housed in the Business Services Department with a
direct report to the NS Director and the CFO
9 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Proposed Organizational Structure
Figure 4 Proposed Organizational Structure
Step Three Budget Model Development3
Operational Cost Support ʹ Expenses and Revenues
In program change of this scale operational support is critical to building the system needed to
create a sustainable model which will meet the goals of the district At current levels district
wide participation in the school meal program is at 26 To change this paradigm of mediocre
participation and poor quality meals the percentages in the budget will swing over a 3 to 4 year
period until the finalized system is up and running for at least a year Critical to sustainable
change is staff training The budget will carry a higher percentage annually for training in the
first three years Exploring the cost of school meals in Boulder Valley is important because
though BVSD raised meal prices for 2008-2009 they have not raised the quality of the actual
ingredients
3 Proposed 09-10 Budget with Comparison - Electronic Attachment to Report
Communication LinkCFO
Sup erin tenden t
NS
Directo r
Ass it
Director
Procu rement
Manager
Executive
Chef
Field
Sup ervisors
Office
F amp R
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Procu rement
Ass is tantStock
Han dlers
Drivers
Stock
Exec
Ass is tant
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Office
Gen eral
Office
Payro ll
10 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
In the implementation of a meal program based on whole foods the weight of responsibility
shifts from offering as many items as the さmini-martゲざ at the Middle or High Schools can handle
to simply preparing and offering real delicious food In implementation of program change
food cost per school meal will rise and food cost and variety of a la carte items will decrease
(fig 5)
Currently food cost of school meals as a percentage of revenue is approximately 38 while food
cost for the a la carte items is 64 The average cost of food for a school meal in BVSD is $100
In the proposed model food cost per meal will be based on $140 Spending the least amount
possible on the ingredients is not the goal Creating meals that look and taste appetizing and
shifting away from the perspective that a la carte is both profitable and necessary is the
direction Boulder needs to headく CノWヴノ デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マWノゲ マニW ヮ デエW ノキラミげゲ ゲエヴW ラa meal revenue and with focus and attention that will continue to increase
The net gain in a la carte is too low to justify the many costs of it in terms of labor and
procurement systems More importantly this focus of salesmanship as a primary component to
the school day simply is not compatible in an educational environment The presumption is that
a la IヴデW さHa laミIWゲ デエW HSェWデざが Hデ キデ エゲ aキノWS デラ Sラ デエデ IラミゲキゲデWミデノ aラヴ ノラミェ デキマW ミS デエW さcostsざ are now to the culture of the children we are educating in this environment
Figure 5 Food Cost as Compared to Percentage of Meal Revenue
Standards of Evaluation ʹ Meals per Labor Hour
In the current model the formula for Meals per Labor Hour (MLPH) has contributed to the assumption
that a la IヴデW キゲ キミIヴWゲキミェ ヴWWミW H ゲWノノキミェ マラヴW さマWノゲざ (fig 6) This assumption depends upon the
number of students served エラWWヴ さマWノ WケキノWミデざ キミ デエW IヴヴWミデ aラヴマノ aラヴ a la carte is $250
At the middle and high school level where a la carte is a predominant theme $250 reflects more of a
snack purchase than a meal In recurrent observations students routinely spent in excess of $5 on a
variety of junk food Unfortunately the potential to create a reimbursable meal within the parameters
of the a la carte choices exists but the emphasis is not on students obtaining a ba lanced nutritious and
high quality meal it is on spending money Due to the costs of the a la carte program the revenue
simply does not justify the さcostsざ In examining the actual volume of students moving through the
ノキミWゲが キデげゲ WゲデキマデWS デエデ マWノ WケキノWミデ ラa マラヴW than $350 is purchased by 42 of the students
purchasing a la carte with an average sale being closer to $500
Using meals per labor hour as way to evaluate performance is a tricky proposition even more so because
the district has lumped the satellite site sales with the production sites sales without really taking into
account that the primary contribution of the production site to the satellite has been storage as so little
11 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
cooking actually happens in advance of a meal In the a la carte model the costs are attributed more to
managing the inventory than to cooking When examining the performance of the satellite sites alone
they are some of the most productive sites in the district usually working with the least skilled staff
fewest hours and poorest facilities (fig 7 8)
Figure 6 Current MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue allocated to Production Only meal equivalent value $250
Figure 7 Proposed MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue evaluated independently meal equivalent value $400 HS $150 Elem
Figure 8 Tight Quarters at Whittier Elementary Satellite Site
12 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Accountability and Transparency Through Seamless Reporting
Use of the variety of software available to the NSD is critical to efficiency in this multi unit meal
program Several key components will need to be implemented to maximize efficiency and
transparency in reporting as follows
1 Full implementation of VBOSS as the primary inventory based food service management tool for
all facets of NSD program
2 LキミニェW ラa VBOldquoldquo Sデ デラ Lゲラミ デ デエW さヮラゲデWS キミラキIWざ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW Iエキミ ラa マラWマWミデ aヴラマ order to receiving Accounting and IT have agreed this is a possible solution and change to a
planned linkage earlier in the flow of records which would not have allowed NSD to use VBOSS
to its full potential
3 Further exploration of long term cost effectiveness of DBS Point of Sale program as the primary
tool for on-site sales and records for State and Federal review Use of VBOSS for POS would
expand the transparency of the movement of purchased and produced goods from warehouse
to central kitchen to student but further review is needed
4 Implementation of a fully cashless system at all grade levels
The continued implementation of POS systems throughout federally funded school districts is a
direct response to the inequity of federally funded free and reduced meal recipients being
キSWミデキaキWS キミ デエW ノミIエヴララマく Cラママラミ デラ デエキゲ ヮヴIデキIW キゲ ゲWヮヴデW さaヴWW マWノざ ノキミWく Tエラェエ Boulder has moved to a blended line as well as a POS style service its willingness to continue to
accept cash particularly at Middle and High School operations highlights and enlarges the still
obvious inequity of dining in the Boulder Valley School District In addition the labor and
potential loss in the burden of managing a cash operation can be immediately eliminated by
only accepting money for account funding に and even then it does not have to happen during
meals which slows down the line
5 Implementation of electronic time clocks linked directly to Lawson which will eliminate the
paper trails currently in use and create a more efficient interface with which to manage large
hourly staff in the department second only to transportation as far as size in the district
6 Tracking of reimbursable meal costs as a separate category from a la carte meal costs
13 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Step Four Food and Menu
Figure 9 Examples of A la Carte a School Meal and Menu Meal Components in Boulder Valley
Figure 10 Scratch Middle School Lunch California Figure 11 Scratch Elementary Lunch Michigan
Aゲ ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ ゲデS デエW さゲラSキマ ゲラヮゲざ エW HWWミ ヴWマラWS aヴラマ BVldquoD ゲIエララノゲ but the process
that led BVSD to the model it has now に primarily industrially grown and processed foods に reflects the
trends of the last 25 years a reduction of investment in personnel training and ingredients (fig 9)
To change this paradigm BVSD as a community will have to fully support and be passionate about the
opportunity and future of real food (fig 10 11) otherwise the investment in change is lost before it has
begun
In year one the focus in food change will be to improve the ingredients in the reimbursable meal
program and simplify and improve the ingredient content of a la carte foods offered for sale Goals for
ingredient content must be more innovative than the simple 351035 formula that the USDA offers
school districts as their barラマWデWヴ デラ WノデW デエW ノデWゲデ ゲミIニ aララSく さldquoミIニざ エキIエ エゲ ノラミェ エキゲデラヴ キミ BラノSWヴ ミWWSゲ デラ マラヴヮエ キミデラ さマWノがざ and the guidelines on what constitutes food will change from
ingredient listings with ヵヰ キデWマゲ W Iミげデ キSWミデキa デラ WキデエWヴ aララSゲ W ニミラ H ゲight or packaged foods
with ingredients we can easily identify
Use of commodity entitlement funds are a key component of the cost structure in school meals though
さa necessary eviノざ would be the way our study team would describe the commodity entitlement
program Until federal policy shifts on the use and content of commodity entitlement foods we
14 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
ヴWIラママWミS aラIゲキミェ ラミ デエW ノWゲデ さSマェキミェざ キデWマゲ キミ デエW Iラママラdity list avoiding processing and
choosing brown box and raw items
Improvement and implementation of sa lad bars in all elementary and middle schools will be the most
direct and expedient improvement we can make to the overall meal program in year one Facility
improvement and training is critical to this process and shifts will be phased in as the system can
support it
Remove flavored milk from the district Consumption of milk in Boulder is exceptionally high with
annual units sold in excess of 12 million considering the reimbursable meal counts of breakfast and
lunch combined total 132 million meals Flavored milk is driving this volume as its purchase out-
numbers plain milk 4 to 1 Sugar is a powerful draw and the average flavored milk packs an additional
14-16 grams of sugar per serving over plain milk This amounts to 5 to 6 pounds of sugar over the
course of the school year if consumed daily Sugar is the one key ingredient the USDA does not limit in
food product compositions served in American schools Sugared milk simply does not have a place
within innovative program change
Shifting from individually packaged milk to bulk dispensed milk is both efficient and improves the milk
experience as the milk is colder and tastes better The cost savings in bulk dispensing also increases the
possibility of the district being able to afford organic milk
Step Five Facilities Improvements Boulder is fortunate to have kitchens Unfortunately cooking from scratch at all sites is not a practical
or affordable solution Though BVSD has continued to spec and build kitchens for cooking the district
shift to prepackaged food drives those investments to a mute point Very little real food is actually
handled in the district and though it would be fantastic to staff the kitchens with enough people and
In large scale scratch cooking with the goal to provide each child with the same experience leveraging
facilities improvements and personnel into fewer sites is a reasonablW IラマヮヴラマキゲWく Iミ BVldquoDげゲ IゲWが given the current participation and projection that acceptance to real food will take some time cooking
at four regional sites will be possible until a central kitchen facility can be built
To maintain quality food will no longer be transported hot に which though it happens rarely in Boulder
due to the reliance on boxed foods it creates an opportunity for degradation of the food quality (over
cooked) and unsafe transport temperatures A cook and chill bulk operation paired with some cooking
at sites that have enough staff (for example steaming broccoli for service instead of cooking chilling and
reheating broccoli) is a proven method for successful whole foods service where most of the meal is
prepared or prepped at a central site and finished at the satellite as well as the satellite being
responsible for preparation of and maintenance of sa lad bars
In BVSD that means that some sites are over equipped as satellites and some are underequipped For
the most part the underequipped sites fall in the category of the current satellite kitchens4 In addition
4 Site Improvement Overview - Electronic Attachment to Report
15 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
sites that currently have antique equipment sitting under hoods that could be replaced with equipment
like steamers which will enhance the quality of meals are also noted
In year one the critical needs sites will be a priority as well as retro fitting the 4 identified regional
kitchens Louisville Middle School Casey Middle School (when available) Monarch High School and
Fairview High School Changes would be made with an eye toward equipment that could be moved to
the central kitchen when it is built Primary needs are refrigeration dry storage and rapid chilling
equipment
Figure 12 Recipe for Success Staff Training
The Plan - Years Two and Three Ȃ Regional to Central
Marketing and Outreach
The list of challenges presented in year one are great and represent the core of this system change
When considering scratch cooked locally and regionally sourced meals on the scale of a district like
Boulder Valley the efficiency of the system model is critical to enabling a uniform and consistent meal
experience district wide に well prepared excellent ingredients building delicious meal choices In
essence though cooking real food may seem like a gargantuan endeavor the end result is much simpler
in concept than what Boulder Valley has been committed to for a very long time
To maintain the momentum and support for this large scale shift it is imperative that the district actively
commit to Marketing and Outreach which in the language of school food change is simply に education
The Wellness Policy work that will take place as the entry point for this project is the ongoing guide and
measure to successful change Policy that is participated in district wide will inform how the lessons of
wellness that may penetrate curriculum will reinforce and support the activities in the dining rooms
Integrating the educational and equity basis of this change work into the fabric of the district is critical
for the investment in this change to make any sense
16 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Food and Staff
As year two unfolds removal of a la carte and competitive foods will be mirrored by the beginning
implementation of scratch cooked meals The stress of changing habits and implementing new
standards of practice means lots of training and lots of support for the teams working throughout the
district (fig 12)
While the elementary sites may be grappling more with the removal of chicken nuggets the middle
schools and high school students will be facing a very different reality - デエW HゲWミIW ラa デエW さマキミキ-マヴデゲくざ
Staff training focusing on communication and dining room service interface will be very important both
in the first year and continuing as change ramps up
In this model what we remove is being replaced with something we know to be much better even if
there is resistance As the initial months can be extremely challenging for the NSD team on the ground
School and Parental support is critical to successful transition
Facilities and Equipment
In year two we will be continuing the task of updating the schools most in need so that their kitchens
and dining areas are both compatible with the model and not substandard when compared with sites
that have had more updates and attention
The regional sites not having been built as central kitchens will be adjusted also and necessary fixes can
be addressed as they come up but with a central kitchen in view investment in these sites should be
compatible with the larger model
Plans and groundbreaking for a central kitchen early in year two will make it possible to move the
production operations in year three but the heart of this proposal is to give Boulder Valley the time to
move at a pace that is compatible with the available resources and support Because of the layout in the
district and the existing cold storage and warehouse system a central kitchen site in close proximity to
receiving and storage is the most efficient long term solution for the district All the training and
systems that are grown in year two can be transferred to the central kitchen concept in year three or
four so loss of efficiency or redundancy in the process is contained as much as possible
School Support and Schedules
As every administrator knows school schedules are sacred In most districts meal times are treated as a
necessary conditionき デエW エW デラ エヮヮWミが Hデ キデ ラノS HW ェヴWデ キa IエキノSヴWミ SキSミげデ ミWWS aララS ゲゲデWミミIWく Iミ BラノSWヴ VノノW W ニミラ デエWヴWげゲ ゲWIラミSヴ program where that さミラ-ミデヴキWミデゲ ミWWSWSざ dream is
assumed since the high school students affected are not scheduled any time to eat at all
At the elementary level this model should expect to add time for either more meal periods that are
incrementally longer or existing period schedules with more time depending on the volume capacity of
the dining rooms Service lines in almost every elementary school are single lines and if the popularity
of a fresher meal program expands as is hoped more lunch periods that allow for staggering of entry
into the dining room rather than en-mass entrance with a third or half the school population at a time is
key We are aware that there are seating issues now even with very low participation in school meals
17 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
At middle schools with more complex scheduling and students not necessarily moving around their days
in grade blocks more creative stagger schedules may be needed depending on participation levels
At the high schools which possess open campuses the typical routine is not to schedule many meal
periods at all opting for a few blocks of time assuming that not many students will actually attend
High School participation will have to be monitored and scheduling adjusted as needed
The bottom line is that scheduling in a food service model that is undergoing a lot of change needs to be
a part of communication between principals and the NSD office In investing in program change the
district is also investing in culture change and vibrant and dynamic relationships between NSD and the
individual school sites will benefit the district as a whole
Financial Sustainability and Models for Change
If Boulder Valley steps into this change model national attention will be part of the picture and with that
attention the ケWゲデキラミ ラa さエラざ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iミ aaラヴS デラ Sラ デエキゲ ラヴニ キノノ HW Iラミゲデミデ デラヮキI ラa discussion To make the change sustainable will take time to allow for all the facets of the system to be
implemented and mature but throughout this process the NSD will have to continue to bring new
resources to the table
The district is currently not offering any consistent service at the breakfast level despite the fact it has
many employees on site at a majority of schools during the hours needed Understanding the needs and
potential in after school snack programs summer feeding programs and potential-offsite revenue
through catering are all ways to optimize the investment in the food service structure that is available
Yes the NSD needs year round staff to efficiently maintain and grow and that year round work can be
justified as the NSD continues to build resources
Conclusion
Boulder Valley should be commended for even considering making such a huge culture shift and as the
study team we know that Nutrition Services does want to be change-makers but we also know they
cannot do it alone They need the support of the Valley when considering the potential of change We
need to remember that food service workers in schools interact with more of the student body than all
other employees in a school district Lunchrooms can and should be part of the recipe for creating
school environments that nurture children into adults equipped to live long and productive lives and
Boulder has taken a big leap toward entering that groundbreaking arena
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
9 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Proposed Organizational Structure
Figure 4 Proposed Organizational Structure
Step Three Budget Model Development3
Operational Cost Support ʹ Expenses and Revenues
In program change of this scale operational support is critical to building the system needed to
create a sustainable model which will meet the goals of the district At current levels district
wide participation in the school meal program is at 26 To change this paradigm of mediocre
participation and poor quality meals the percentages in the budget will swing over a 3 to 4 year
period until the finalized system is up and running for at least a year Critical to sustainable
change is staff training The budget will carry a higher percentage annually for training in the
first three years Exploring the cost of school meals in Boulder Valley is important because
though BVSD raised meal prices for 2008-2009 they have not raised the quality of the actual
ingredients
3 Proposed 09-10 Budget with Comparison - Electronic Attachment to Report
Communication LinkCFO
Sup erin tenden t
NS
Directo r
Ass it
Director
Procu rement
Manager
Executive
Chef
Field
Sup ervisors
Office
F amp R
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Procu rement
Ass is tantStock
Han dlers
Drivers
Stock
Exec
Ass is tant
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Field
Sup ervisors
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Satellite
Operato rs
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Foo d
Service
Ass is tants
Office
Gen eral
Office
Payro ll
10 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
In the implementation of a meal program based on whole foods the weight of responsibility
shifts from offering as many items as the さmini-martゲざ at the Middle or High Schools can handle
to simply preparing and offering real delicious food In implementation of program change
food cost per school meal will rise and food cost and variety of a la carte items will decrease
(fig 5)
Currently food cost of school meals as a percentage of revenue is approximately 38 while food
cost for the a la carte items is 64 The average cost of food for a school meal in BVSD is $100
In the proposed model food cost per meal will be based on $140 Spending the least amount
possible on the ingredients is not the goal Creating meals that look and taste appetizing and
shifting away from the perspective that a la carte is both profitable and necessary is the
direction Boulder needs to headく CノWヴノ デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マWノゲ マニW ヮ デエW ノキラミげゲ ゲエヴW ラa meal revenue and with focus and attention that will continue to increase
The net gain in a la carte is too low to justify the many costs of it in terms of labor and
procurement systems More importantly this focus of salesmanship as a primary component to
the school day simply is not compatible in an educational environment The presumption is that
a la IヴデW さHa laミIWゲ デエW HSェWデざが Hデ キデ エゲ aキノWS デラ Sラ デエデ IラミゲキゲデWミデノ aラヴ ノラミェ デキマW ミS デエW さcostsざ are now to the culture of the children we are educating in this environment
Figure 5 Food Cost as Compared to Percentage of Meal Revenue
Standards of Evaluation ʹ Meals per Labor Hour
In the current model the formula for Meals per Labor Hour (MLPH) has contributed to the assumption
that a la IヴデW キゲ キミIヴWゲキミェ ヴWWミW H ゲWノノキミェ マラヴW さマWノゲざ (fig 6) This assumption depends upon the
number of students served エラWWヴ さマWノ WケキノWミデざ キミ デエW IヴヴWミデ aラヴマノ aラヴ a la carte is $250
At the middle and high school level where a la carte is a predominant theme $250 reflects more of a
snack purchase than a meal In recurrent observations students routinely spent in excess of $5 on a
variety of junk food Unfortunately the potential to create a reimbursable meal within the parameters
of the a la carte choices exists but the emphasis is not on students obtaining a ba lanced nutritious and
high quality meal it is on spending money Due to the costs of the a la carte program the revenue
simply does not justify the さcostsざ In examining the actual volume of students moving through the
ノキミWゲが キデげゲ WゲデキマデWS デエデ マWノ WケキノWミデ ラa マラヴW than $350 is purchased by 42 of the students
purchasing a la carte with an average sale being closer to $500
Using meals per labor hour as way to evaluate performance is a tricky proposition even more so because
the district has lumped the satellite site sales with the production sites sales without really taking into
account that the primary contribution of the production site to the satellite has been storage as so little
11 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
cooking actually happens in advance of a meal In the a la carte model the costs are attributed more to
managing the inventory than to cooking When examining the performance of the satellite sites alone
they are some of the most productive sites in the district usually working with the least skilled staff
fewest hours and poorest facilities (fig 7 8)
Figure 6 Current MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue allocated to Production Only meal equivalent value $250
Figure 7 Proposed MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue evaluated independently meal equivalent value $400 HS $150 Elem
Figure 8 Tight Quarters at Whittier Elementary Satellite Site
12 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Accountability and Transparency Through Seamless Reporting
Use of the variety of software available to the NSD is critical to efficiency in this multi unit meal
program Several key components will need to be implemented to maximize efficiency and
transparency in reporting as follows
1 Full implementation of VBOSS as the primary inventory based food service management tool for
all facets of NSD program
2 LキミニェW ラa VBOldquoldquo Sデ デラ Lゲラミ デ デエW さヮラゲデWS キミラキIWざ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW Iエキミ ラa マラWマWミデ aヴラマ order to receiving Accounting and IT have agreed this is a possible solution and change to a
planned linkage earlier in the flow of records which would not have allowed NSD to use VBOSS
to its full potential
3 Further exploration of long term cost effectiveness of DBS Point of Sale program as the primary
tool for on-site sales and records for State and Federal review Use of VBOSS for POS would
expand the transparency of the movement of purchased and produced goods from warehouse
to central kitchen to student but further review is needed
4 Implementation of a fully cashless system at all grade levels
The continued implementation of POS systems throughout federally funded school districts is a
direct response to the inequity of federally funded free and reduced meal recipients being
キSWミデキaキWS キミ デエW ノミIエヴララマく Cラママラミ デラ デエキゲ ヮヴIデキIW キゲ ゲWヮヴデW さaヴWW マWノざ ノキミWく Tエラェエ Boulder has moved to a blended line as well as a POS style service its willingness to continue to
accept cash particularly at Middle and High School operations highlights and enlarges the still
obvious inequity of dining in the Boulder Valley School District In addition the labor and
potential loss in the burden of managing a cash operation can be immediately eliminated by
only accepting money for account funding に and even then it does not have to happen during
meals which slows down the line
5 Implementation of electronic time clocks linked directly to Lawson which will eliminate the
paper trails currently in use and create a more efficient interface with which to manage large
hourly staff in the department second only to transportation as far as size in the district
6 Tracking of reimbursable meal costs as a separate category from a la carte meal costs
13 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Step Four Food and Menu
Figure 9 Examples of A la Carte a School Meal and Menu Meal Components in Boulder Valley
Figure 10 Scratch Middle School Lunch California Figure 11 Scratch Elementary Lunch Michigan
Aゲ ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ ゲデS デエW さゲラSキマ ゲラヮゲざ エW HWWミ ヴWマラWS aヴラマ BVldquoD ゲIエララノゲ but the process
that led BVSD to the model it has now に primarily industrially grown and processed foods に reflects the
trends of the last 25 years a reduction of investment in personnel training and ingredients (fig 9)
To change this paradigm BVSD as a community will have to fully support and be passionate about the
opportunity and future of real food (fig 10 11) otherwise the investment in change is lost before it has
begun
In year one the focus in food change will be to improve the ingredients in the reimbursable meal
program and simplify and improve the ingredient content of a la carte foods offered for sale Goals for
ingredient content must be more innovative than the simple 351035 formula that the USDA offers
school districts as their barラマWデWヴ デラ WノデW デエW ノデWゲデ ゲミIニ aララSく さldquoミIニざ エキIエ エゲ ノラミェ エキゲデラヴ キミ BラノSWヴ ミWWSゲ デラ マラヴヮエ キミデラ さマWノがざ and the guidelines on what constitutes food will change from
ingredient listings with ヵヰ キデWマゲ W Iミげデ キSWミデキa デラ WキデエWヴ aララSゲ W ニミラ H ゲight or packaged foods
with ingredients we can easily identify
Use of commodity entitlement funds are a key component of the cost structure in school meals though
さa necessary eviノざ would be the way our study team would describe the commodity entitlement
program Until federal policy shifts on the use and content of commodity entitlement foods we
14 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
ヴWIラママWミS aラIゲキミェ ラミ デエW ノWゲデ さSマェキミェざ キデWマゲ キミ デエW Iラママラdity list avoiding processing and
choosing brown box and raw items
Improvement and implementation of sa lad bars in all elementary and middle schools will be the most
direct and expedient improvement we can make to the overall meal program in year one Facility
improvement and training is critical to this process and shifts will be phased in as the system can
support it
Remove flavored milk from the district Consumption of milk in Boulder is exceptionally high with
annual units sold in excess of 12 million considering the reimbursable meal counts of breakfast and
lunch combined total 132 million meals Flavored milk is driving this volume as its purchase out-
numbers plain milk 4 to 1 Sugar is a powerful draw and the average flavored milk packs an additional
14-16 grams of sugar per serving over plain milk This amounts to 5 to 6 pounds of sugar over the
course of the school year if consumed daily Sugar is the one key ingredient the USDA does not limit in
food product compositions served in American schools Sugared milk simply does not have a place
within innovative program change
Shifting from individually packaged milk to bulk dispensed milk is both efficient and improves the milk
experience as the milk is colder and tastes better The cost savings in bulk dispensing also increases the
possibility of the district being able to afford organic milk
Step Five Facilities Improvements Boulder is fortunate to have kitchens Unfortunately cooking from scratch at all sites is not a practical
or affordable solution Though BVSD has continued to spec and build kitchens for cooking the district
shift to prepackaged food drives those investments to a mute point Very little real food is actually
handled in the district and though it would be fantastic to staff the kitchens with enough people and
In large scale scratch cooking with the goal to provide each child with the same experience leveraging
facilities improvements and personnel into fewer sites is a reasonablW IラマヮヴラマキゲWく Iミ BVldquoDげゲ IゲWが given the current participation and projection that acceptance to real food will take some time cooking
at four regional sites will be possible until a central kitchen facility can be built
To maintain quality food will no longer be transported hot に which though it happens rarely in Boulder
due to the reliance on boxed foods it creates an opportunity for degradation of the food quality (over
cooked) and unsafe transport temperatures A cook and chill bulk operation paired with some cooking
at sites that have enough staff (for example steaming broccoli for service instead of cooking chilling and
reheating broccoli) is a proven method for successful whole foods service where most of the meal is
prepared or prepped at a central site and finished at the satellite as well as the satellite being
responsible for preparation of and maintenance of sa lad bars
In BVSD that means that some sites are over equipped as satellites and some are underequipped For
the most part the underequipped sites fall in the category of the current satellite kitchens4 In addition
4 Site Improvement Overview - Electronic Attachment to Report
15 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
sites that currently have antique equipment sitting under hoods that could be replaced with equipment
like steamers which will enhance the quality of meals are also noted
In year one the critical needs sites will be a priority as well as retro fitting the 4 identified regional
kitchens Louisville Middle School Casey Middle School (when available) Monarch High School and
Fairview High School Changes would be made with an eye toward equipment that could be moved to
the central kitchen when it is built Primary needs are refrigeration dry storage and rapid chilling
equipment
Figure 12 Recipe for Success Staff Training
The Plan - Years Two and Three Ȃ Regional to Central
Marketing and Outreach
The list of challenges presented in year one are great and represent the core of this system change
When considering scratch cooked locally and regionally sourced meals on the scale of a district like
Boulder Valley the efficiency of the system model is critical to enabling a uniform and consistent meal
experience district wide に well prepared excellent ingredients building delicious meal choices In
essence though cooking real food may seem like a gargantuan endeavor the end result is much simpler
in concept than what Boulder Valley has been committed to for a very long time
To maintain the momentum and support for this large scale shift it is imperative that the district actively
commit to Marketing and Outreach which in the language of school food change is simply に education
The Wellness Policy work that will take place as the entry point for this project is the ongoing guide and
measure to successful change Policy that is participated in district wide will inform how the lessons of
wellness that may penetrate curriculum will reinforce and support the activities in the dining rooms
Integrating the educational and equity basis of this change work into the fabric of the district is critical
for the investment in this change to make any sense
16 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Food and Staff
As year two unfolds removal of a la carte and competitive foods will be mirrored by the beginning
implementation of scratch cooked meals The stress of changing habits and implementing new
standards of practice means lots of training and lots of support for the teams working throughout the
district (fig 12)
While the elementary sites may be grappling more with the removal of chicken nuggets the middle
schools and high school students will be facing a very different reality - デエW HゲWミIW ラa デエW さマキミキ-マヴデゲくざ
Staff training focusing on communication and dining room service interface will be very important both
in the first year and continuing as change ramps up
In this model what we remove is being replaced with something we know to be much better even if
there is resistance As the initial months can be extremely challenging for the NSD team on the ground
School and Parental support is critical to successful transition
Facilities and Equipment
In year two we will be continuing the task of updating the schools most in need so that their kitchens
and dining areas are both compatible with the model and not substandard when compared with sites
that have had more updates and attention
The regional sites not having been built as central kitchens will be adjusted also and necessary fixes can
be addressed as they come up but with a central kitchen in view investment in these sites should be
compatible with the larger model
Plans and groundbreaking for a central kitchen early in year two will make it possible to move the
production operations in year three but the heart of this proposal is to give Boulder Valley the time to
move at a pace that is compatible with the available resources and support Because of the layout in the
district and the existing cold storage and warehouse system a central kitchen site in close proximity to
receiving and storage is the most efficient long term solution for the district All the training and
systems that are grown in year two can be transferred to the central kitchen concept in year three or
four so loss of efficiency or redundancy in the process is contained as much as possible
School Support and Schedules
As every administrator knows school schedules are sacred In most districts meal times are treated as a
necessary conditionき デエW エW デラ エヮヮWミが Hデ キデ ラノS HW ェヴWデ キa IエキノSヴWミ SキSミげデ ミWWS aララS ゲゲデWミミIWく Iミ BラノSWヴ VノノW W ニミラ デエWヴWげゲ ゲWIラミSヴ program where that さミラ-ミデヴキWミデゲ ミWWSWSざ dream is
assumed since the high school students affected are not scheduled any time to eat at all
At the elementary level this model should expect to add time for either more meal periods that are
incrementally longer or existing period schedules with more time depending on the volume capacity of
the dining rooms Service lines in almost every elementary school are single lines and if the popularity
of a fresher meal program expands as is hoped more lunch periods that allow for staggering of entry
into the dining room rather than en-mass entrance with a third or half the school population at a time is
key We are aware that there are seating issues now even with very low participation in school meals
17 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
At middle schools with more complex scheduling and students not necessarily moving around their days
in grade blocks more creative stagger schedules may be needed depending on participation levels
At the high schools which possess open campuses the typical routine is not to schedule many meal
periods at all opting for a few blocks of time assuming that not many students will actually attend
High School participation will have to be monitored and scheduling adjusted as needed
The bottom line is that scheduling in a food service model that is undergoing a lot of change needs to be
a part of communication between principals and the NSD office In investing in program change the
district is also investing in culture change and vibrant and dynamic relationships between NSD and the
individual school sites will benefit the district as a whole
Financial Sustainability and Models for Change
If Boulder Valley steps into this change model national attention will be part of the picture and with that
attention the ケWゲデキラミ ラa さエラざ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iミ aaラヴS デラ Sラ デエキゲ ラヴニ キノノ HW Iラミゲデミデ デラヮキI ラa discussion To make the change sustainable will take time to allow for all the facets of the system to be
implemented and mature but throughout this process the NSD will have to continue to bring new
resources to the table
The district is currently not offering any consistent service at the breakfast level despite the fact it has
many employees on site at a majority of schools during the hours needed Understanding the needs and
potential in after school snack programs summer feeding programs and potential-offsite revenue
through catering are all ways to optimize the investment in the food service structure that is available
Yes the NSD needs year round staff to efficiently maintain and grow and that year round work can be
justified as the NSD continues to build resources
Conclusion
Boulder Valley should be commended for even considering making such a huge culture shift and as the
study team we know that Nutrition Services does want to be change-makers but we also know they
cannot do it alone They need the support of the Valley when considering the potential of change We
need to remember that food service workers in schools interact with more of the student body than all
other employees in a school district Lunchrooms can and should be part of the recipe for creating
school environments that nurture children into adults equipped to live long and productive lives and
Boulder has taken a big leap toward entering that groundbreaking arena
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
10 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
In the implementation of a meal program based on whole foods the weight of responsibility
shifts from offering as many items as the さmini-martゲざ at the Middle or High Schools can handle
to simply preparing and offering real delicious food In implementation of program change
food cost per school meal will rise and food cost and variety of a la carte items will decrease
(fig 5)
Currently food cost of school meals as a percentage of revenue is approximately 38 while food
cost for the a la carte items is 64 The average cost of food for a school meal in BVSD is $100
In the proposed model food cost per meal will be based on $140 Spending the least amount
possible on the ingredients is not the goal Creating meals that look and taste appetizing and
shifting away from the perspective that a la carte is both profitable and necessary is the
direction Boulder needs to headく CノWヴノ デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マWノゲ マニW ヮ デエW ノキラミげゲ ゲエヴW ラa meal revenue and with focus and attention that will continue to increase
The net gain in a la carte is too low to justify the many costs of it in terms of labor and
procurement systems More importantly this focus of salesmanship as a primary component to
the school day simply is not compatible in an educational environment The presumption is that
a la IヴデW さHa laミIWゲ デエW HSェWデざが Hデ キデ エゲ aキノWS デラ Sラ デエデ IラミゲキゲデWミデノ aラヴ ノラミェ デキマW ミS デエW さcostsざ are now to the culture of the children we are educating in this environment
Figure 5 Food Cost as Compared to Percentage of Meal Revenue
Standards of Evaluation ʹ Meals per Labor Hour
In the current model the formula for Meals per Labor Hour (MLPH) has contributed to the assumption
that a la IヴデW キゲ キミIヴWゲキミェ ヴWWミW H ゲWノノキミェ マラヴW さマWノゲざ (fig 6) This assumption depends upon the
number of students served エラWWヴ さマWノ WケキノWミデざ キミ デエW IヴヴWミデ aラヴマノ aラヴ a la carte is $250
At the middle and high school level where a la carte is a predominant theme $250 reflects more of a
snack purchase than a meal In recurrent observations students routinely spent in excess of $5 on a
variety of junk food Unfortunately the potential to create a reimbursable meal within the parameters
of the a la carte choices exists but the emphasis is not on students obtaining a ba lanced nutritious and
high quality meal it is on spending money Due to the costs of the a la carte program the revenue
simply does not justify the さcostsざ In examining the actual volume of students moving through the
ノキミWゲが キデげゲ WゲデキマデWS デエデ マWノ WケキノWミデ ラa マラヴW than $350 is purchased by 42 of the students
purchasing a la carte with an average sale being closer to $500
Using meals per labor hour as way to evaluate performance is a tricky proposition even more so because
the district has lumped the satellite site sales with the production sites sales without really taking into
account that the primary contribution of the production site to the satellite has been storage as so little
11 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
cooking actually happens in advance of a meal In the a la carte model the costs are attributed more to
managing the inventory than to cooking When examining the performance of the satellite sites alone
they are some of the most productive sites in the district usually working with the least skilled staff
fewest hours and poorest facilities (fig 7 8)
Figure 6 Current MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue allocated to Production Only meal equivalent value $250
Figure 7 Proposed MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue evaluated independently meal equivalent value $400 HS $150 Elem
Figure 8 Tight Quarters at Whittier Elementary Satellite Site
12 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Accountability and Transparency Through Seamless Reporting
Use of the variety of software available to the NSD is critical to efficiency in this multi unit meal
program Several key components will need to be implemented to maximize efficiency and
transparency in reporting as follows
1 Full implementation of VBOSS as the primary inventory based food service management tool for
all facets of NSD program
2 LキミニェW ラa VBOldquoldquo Sデ デラ Lゲラミ デ デエW さヮラゲデWS キミラキIWざ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW Iエキミ ラa マラWマWミデ aヴラマ order to receiving Accounting and IT have agreed this is a possible solution and change to a
planned linkage earlier in the flow of records which would not have allowed NSD to use VBOSS
to its full potential
3 Further exploration of long term cost effectiveness of DBS Point of Sale program as the primary
tool for on-site sales and records for State and Federal review Use of VBOSS for POS would
expand the transparency of the movement of purchased and produced goods from warehouse
to central kitchen to student but further review is needed
4 Implementation of a fully cashless system at all grade levels
The continued implementation of POS systems throughout federally funded school districts is a
direct response to the inequity of federally funded free and reduced meal recipients being
キSWミデキaキWS キミ デエW ノミIエヴララマく Cラママラミ デラ デエキゲ ヮヴIデキIW キゲ ゲWヮヴデW さaヴWW マWノざ ノキミWく Tエラェエ Boulder has moved to a blended line as well as a POS style service its willingness to continue to
accept cash particularly at Middle and High School operations highlights and enlarges the still
obvious inequity of dining in the Boulder Valley School District In addition the labor and
potential loss in the burden of managing a cash operation can be immediately eliminated by
only accepting money for account funding に and even then it does not have to happen during
meals which slows down the line
5 Implementation of electronic time clocks linked directly to Lawson which will eliminate the
paper trails currently in use and create a more efficient interface with which to manage large
hourly staff in the department second only to transportation as far as size in the district
6 Tracking of reimbursable meal costs as a separate category from a la carte meal costs
13 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Step Four Food and Menu
Figure 9 Examples of A la Carte a School Meal and Menu Meal Components in Boulder Valley
Figure 10 Scratch Middle School Lunch California Figure 11 Scratch Elementary Lunch Michigan
Aゲ ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ ゲデS デエW さゲラSキマ ゲラヮゲざ エW HWWミ ヴWマラWS aヴラマ BVldquoD ゲIエララノゲ but the process
that led BVSD to the model it has now に primarily industrially grown and processed foods に reflects the
trends of the last 25 years a reduction of investment in personnel training and ingredients (fig 9)
To change this paradigm BVSD as a community will have to fully support and be passionate about the
opportunity and future of real food (fig 10 11) otherwise the investment in change is lost before it has
begun
In year one the focus in food change will be to improve the ingredients in the reimbursable meal
program and simplify and improve the ingredient content of a la carte foods offered for sale Goals for
ingredient content must be more innovative than the simple 351035 formula that the USDA offers
school districts as their barラマWデWヴ デラ WノデW デエW ノデWゲデ ゲミIニ aララSく さldquoミIニざ エキIエ エゲ ノラミェ エキゲデラヴ キミ BラノSWヴ ミWWSゲ デラ マラヴヮエ キミデラ さマWノがざ and the guidelines on what constitutes food will change from
ingredient listings with ヵヰ キデWマゲ W Iミげデ キSWミデキa デラ WキデエWヴ aララSゲ W ニミラ H ゲight or packaged foods
with ingredients we can easily identify
Use of commodity entitlement funds are a key component of the cost structure in school meals though
さa necessary eviノざ would be the way our study team would describe the commodity entitlement
program Until federal policy shifts on the use and content of commodity entitlement foods we
14 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
ヴWIラママWミS aラIゲキミェ ラミ デエW ノWゲデ さSマェキミェざ キデWマゲ キミ デエW Iラママラdity list avoiding processing and
choosing brown box and raw items
Improvement and implementation of sa lad bars in all elementary and middle schools will be the most
direct and expedient improvement we can make to the overall meal program in year one Facility
improvement and training is critical to this process and shifts will be phased in as the system can
support it
Remove flavored milk from the district Consumption of milk in Boulder is exceptionally high with
annual units sold in excess of 12 million considering the reimbursable meal counts of breakfast and
lunch combined total 132 million meals Flavored milk is driving this volume as its purchase out-
numbers plain milk 4 to 1 Sugar is a powerful draw and the average flavored milk packs an additional
14-16 grams of sugar per serving over plain milk This amounts to 5 to 6 pounds of sugar over the
course of the school year if consumed daily Sugar is the one key ingredient the USDA does not limit in
food product compositions served in American schools Sugared milk simply does not have a place
within innovative program change
Shifting from individually packaged milk to bulk dispensed milk is both efficient and improves the milk
experience as the milk is colder and tastes better The cost savings in bulk dispensing also increases the
possibility of the district being able to afford organic milk
Step Five Facilities Improvements Boulder is fortunate to have kitchens Unfortunately cooking from scratch at all sites is not a practical
or affordable solution Though BVSD has continued to spec and build kitchens for cooking the district
shift to prepackaged food drives those investments to a mute point Very little real food is actually
handled in the district and though it would be fantastic to staff the kitchens with enough people and
In large scale scratch cooking with the goal to provide each child with the same experience leveraging
facilities improvements and personnel into fewer sites is a reasonablW IラマヮヴラマキゲWく Iミ BVldquoDげゲ IゲWが given the current participation and projection that acceptance to real food will take some time cooking
at four regional sites will be possible until a central kitchen facility can be built
To maintain quality food will no longer be transported hot に which though it happens rarely in Boulder
due to the reliance on boxed foods it creates an opportunity for degradation of the food quality (over
cooked) and unsafe transport temperatures A cook and chill bulk operation paired with some cooking
at sites that have enough staff (for example steaming broccoli for service instead of cooking chilling and
reheating broccoli) is a proven method for successful whole foods service where most of the meal is
prepared or prepped at a central site and finished at the satellite as well as the satellite being
responsible for preparation of and maintenance of sa lad bars
In BVSD that means that some sites are over equipped as satellites and some are underequipped For
the most part the underequipped sites fall in the category of the current satellite kitchens4 In addition
4 Site Improvement Overview - Electronic Attachment to Report
15 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
sites that currently have antique equipment sitting under hoods that could be replaced with equipment
like steamers which will enhance the quality of meals are also noted
In year one the critical needs sites will be a priority as well as retro fitting the 4 identified regional
kitchens Louisville Middle School Casey Middle School (when available) Monarch High School and
Fairview High School Changes would be made with an eye toward equipment that could be moved to
the central kitchen when it is built Primary needs are refrigeration dry storage and rapid chilling
equipment
Figure 12 Recipe for Success Staff Training
The Plan - Years Two and Three Ȃ Regional to Central
Marketing and Outreach
The list of challenges presented in year one are great and represent the core of this system change
When considering scratch cooked locally and regionally sourced meals on the scale of a district like
Boulder Valley the efficiency of the system model is critical to enabling a uniform and consistent meal
experience district wide に well prepared excellent ingredients building delicious meal choices In
essence though cooking real food may seem like a gargantuan endeavor the end result is much simpler
in concept than what Boulder Valley has been committed to for a very long time
To maintain the momentum and support for this large scale shift it is imperative that the district actively
commit to Marketing and Outreach which in the language of school food change is simply に education
The Wellness Policy work that will take place as the entry point for this project is the ongoing guide and
measure to successful change Policy that is participated in district wide will inform how the lessons of
wellness that may penetrate curriculum will reinforce and support the activities in the dining rooms
Integrating the educational and equity basis of this change work into the fabric of the district is critical
for the investment in this change to make any sense
16 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Food and Staff
As year two unfolds removal of a la carte and competitive foods will be mirrored by the beginning
implementation of scratch cooked meals The stress of changing habits and implementing new
standards of practice means lots of training and lots of support for the teams working throughout the
district (fig 12)
While the elementary sites may be grappling more with the removal of chicken nuggets the middle
schools and high school students will be facing a very different reality - デエW HゲWミIW ラa デエW さマキミキ-マヴデゲくざ
Staff training focusing on communication and dining room service interface will be very important both
in the first year and continuing as change ramps up
In this model what we remove is being replaced with something we know to be much better even if
there is resistance As the initial months can be extremely challenging for the NSD team on the ground
School and Parental support is critical to successful transition
Facilities and Equipment
In year two we will be continuing the task of updating the schools most in need so that their kitchens
and dining areas are both compatible with the model and not substandard when compared with sites
that have had more updates and attention
The regional sites not having been built as central kitchens will be adjusted also and necessary fixes can
be addressed as they come up but with a central kitchen in view investment in these sites should be
compatible with the larger model
Plans and groundbreaking for a central kitchen early in year two will make it possible to move the
production operations in year three but the heart of this proposal is to give Boulder Valley the time to
move at a pace that is compatible with the available resources and support Because of the layout in the
district and the existing cold storage and warehouse system a central kitchen site in close proximity to
receiving and storage is the most efficient long term solution for the district All the training and
systems that are grown in year two can be transferred to the central kitchen concept in year three or
four so loss of efficiency or redundancy in the process is contained as much as possible
School Support and Schedules
As every administrator knows school schedules are sacred In most districts meal times are treated as a
necessary conditionき デエW エW デラ エヮヮWミが Hデ キデ ラノS HW ェヴWデ キa IエキノSヴWミ SキSミげデ ミWWS aララS ゲゲデWミミIWく Iミ BラノSWヴ VノノW W ニミラ デエWヴWげゲ ゲWIラミSヴ program where that さミラ-ミデヴキWミデゲ ミWWSWSざ dream is
assumed since the high school students affected are not scheduled any time to eat at all
At the elementary level this model should expect to add time for either more meal periods that are
incrementally longer or existing period schedules with more time depending on the volume capacity of
the dining rooms Service lines in almost every elementary school are single lines and if the popularity
of a fresher meal program expands as is hoped more lunch periods that allow for staggering of entry
into the dining room rather than en-mass entrance with a third or half the school population at a time is
key We are aware that there are seating issues now even with very low participation in school meals
17 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
At middle schools with more complex scheduling and students not necessarily moving around their days
in grade blocks more creative stagger schedules may be needed depending on participation levels
At the high schools which possess open campuses the typical routine is not to schedule many meal
periods at all opting for a few blocks of time assuming that not many students will actually attend
High School participation will have to be monitored and scheduling adjusted as needed
The bottom line is that scheduling in a food service model that is undergoing a lot of change needs to be
a part of communication between principals and the NSD office In investing in program change the
district is also investing in culture change and vibrant and dynamic relationships between NSD and the
individual school sites will benefit the district as a whole
Financial Sustainability and Models for Change
If Boulder Valley steps into this change model national attention will be part of the picture and with that
attention the ケWゲデキラミ ラa さエラざ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iミ aaラヴS デラ Sラ デエキゲ ラヴニ キノノ HW Iラミゲデミデ デラヮキI ラa discussion To make the change sustainable will take time to allow for all the facets of the system to be
implemented and mature but throughout this process the NSD will have to continue to bring new
resources to the table
The district is currently not offering any consistent service at the breakfast level despite the fact it has
many employees on site at a majority of schools during the hours needed Understanding the needs and
potential in after school snack programs summer feeding programs and potential-offsite revenue
through catering are all ways to optimize the investment in the food service structure that is available
Yes the NSD needs year round staff to efficiently maintain and grow and that year round work can be
justified as the NSD continues to build resources
Conclusion
Boulder Valley should be commended for even considering making such a huge culture shift and as the
study team we know that Nutrition Services does want to be change-makers but we also know they
cannot do it alone They need the support of the Valley when considering the potential of change We
need to remember that food service workers in schools interact with more of the student body than all
other employees in a school district Lunchrooms can and should be part of the recipe for creating
school environments that nurture children into adults equipped to live long and productive lives and
Boulder has taken a big leap toward entering that groundbreaking arena
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
11 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
cooking actually happens in advance of a meal In the a la carte model the costs are attributed more to
managing the inventory than to cooking When examining the performance of the satellite sites alone
they are some of the most productive sites in the district usually working with the least skilled staff
fewest hours and poorest facilities (fig 7 8)
Figure 6 Current MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue allocated to Production Only meal equivalent value $250
Figure 7 Proposed MPLH Model ʹ Labor and Revenue evaluated independently meal equivalent value $400 HS $150 Elem
Figure 8 Tight Quarters at Whittier Elementary Satellite Site
12 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Accountability and Transparency Through Seamless Reporting
Use of the variety of software available to the NSD is critical to efficiency in this multi unit meal
program Several key components will need to be implemented to maximize efficiency and
transparency in reporting as follows
1 Full implementation of VBOSS as the primary inventory based food service management tool for
all facets of NSD program
2 LキミニェW ラa VBOldquoldquo Sデ デラ Lゲラミ デ デエW さヮラゲデWS キミラキIWざ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW Iエキミ ラa マラWマWミデ aヴラマ order to receiving Accounting and IT have agreed this is a possible solution and change to a
planned linkage earlier in the flow of records which would not have allowed NSD to use VBOSS
to its full potential
3 Further exploration of long term cost effectiveness of DBS Point of Sale program as the primary
tool for on-site sales and records for State and Federal review Use of VBOSS for POS would
expand the transparency of the movement of purchased and produced goods from warehouse
to central kitchen to student but further review is needed
4 Implementation of a fully cashless system at all grade levels
The continued implementation of POS systems throughout federally funded school districts is a
direct response to the inequity of federally funded free and reduced meal recipients being
キSWミデキaキWS キミ デエW ノミIエヴララマく Cラママラミ デラ デエキゲ ヮヴIデキIW キゲ ゲWヮヴデW さaヴWW マWノざ ノキミWく Tエラェエ Boulder has moved to a blended line as well as a POS style service its willingness to continue to
accept cash particularly at Middle and High School operations highlights and enlarges the still
obvious inequity of dining in the Boulder Valley School District In addition the labor and
potential loss in the burden of managing a cash operation can be immediately eliminated by
only accepting money for account funding に and even then it does not have to happen during
meals which slows down the line
5 Implementation of electronic time clocks linked directly to Lawson which will eliminate the
paper trails currently in use and create a more efficient interface with which to manage large
hourly staff in the department second only to transportation as far as size in the district
6 Tracking of reimbursable meal costs as a separate category from a la carte meal costs
13 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Step Four Food and Menu
Figure 9 Examples of A la Carte a School Meal and Menu Meal Components in Boulder Valley
Figure 10 Scratch Middle School Lunch California Figure 11 Scratch Elementary Lunch Michigan
Aゲ ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ ゲデS デエW さゲラSキマ ゲラヮゲざ エW HWWミ ヴWマラWS aヴラマ BVldquoD ゲIエララノゲ but the process
that led BVSD to the model it has now に primarily industrially grown and processed foods に reflects the
trends of the last 25 years a reduction of investment in personnel training and ingredients (fig 9)
To change this paradigm BVSD as a community will have to fully support and be passionate about the
opportunity and future of real food (fig 10 11) otherwise the investment in change is lost before it has
begun
In year one the focus in food change will be to improve the ingredients in the reimbursable meal
program and simplify and improve the ingredient content of a la carte foods offered for sale Goals for
ingredient content must be more innovative than the simple 351035 formula that the USDA offers
school districts as their barラマWデWヴ デラ WノデW デエW ノデWゲデ ゲミIニ aララSく さldquoミIニざ エキIエ エゲ ノラミェ エキゲデラヴ キミ BラノSWヴ ミWWSゲ デラ マラヴヮエ キミデラ さマWノがざ and the guidelines on what constitutes food will change from
ingredient listings with ヵヰ キデWマゲ W Iミげデ キSWミデキa デラ WキデエWヴ aララSゲ W ニミラ H ゲight or packaged foods
with ingredients we can easily identify
Use of commodity entitlement funds are a key component of the cost structure in school meals though
さa necessary eviノざ would be the way our study team would describe the commodity entitlement
program Until federal policy shifts on the use and content of commodity entitlement foods we
14 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
ヴWIラママWミS aラIゲキミェ ラミ デエW ノWゲデ さSマェキミェざ キデWマゲ キミ デエW Iラママラdity list avoiding processing and
choosing brown box and raw items
Improvement and implementation of sa lad bars in all elementary and middle schools will be the most
direct and expedient improvement we can make to the overall meal program in year one Facility
improvement and training is critical to this process and shifts will be phased in as the system can
support it
Remove flavored milk from the district Consumption of milk in Boulder is exceptionally high with
annual units sold in excess of 12 million considering the reimbursable meal counts of breakfast and
lunch combined total 132 million meals Flavored milk is driving this volume as its purchase out-
numbers plain milk 4 to 1 Sugar is a powerful draw and the average flavored milk packs an additional
14-16 grams of sugar per serving over plain milk This amounts to 5 to 6 pounds of sugar over the
course of the school year if consumed daily Sugar is the one key ingredient the USDA does not limit in
food product compositions served in American schools Sugared milk simply does not have a place
within innovative program change
Shifting from individually packaged milk to bulk dispensed milk is both efficient and improves the milk
experience as the milk is colder and tastes better The cost savings in bulk dispensing also increases the
possibility of the district being able to afford organic milk
Step Five Facilities Improvements Boulder is fortunate to have kitchens Unfortunately cooking from scratch at all sites is not a practical
or affordable solution Though BVSD has continued to spec and build kitchens for cooking the district
shift to prepackaged food drives those investments to a mute point Very little real food is actually
handled in the district and though it would be fantastic to staff the kitchens with enough people and
In large scale scratch cooking with the goal to provide each child with the same experience leveraging
facilities improvements and personnel into fewer sites is a reasonablW IラマヮヴラマキゲWく Iミ BVldquoDげゲ IゲWが given the current participation and projection that acceptance to real food will take some time cooking
at four regional sites will be possible until a central kitchen facility can be built
To maintain quality food will no longer be transported hot に which though it happens rarely in Boulder
due to the reliance on boxed foods it creates an opportunity for degradation of the food quality (over
cooked) and unsafe transport temperatures A cook and chill bulk operation paired with some cooking
at sites that have enough staff (for example steaming broccoli for service instead of cooking chilling and
reheating broccoli) is a proven method for successful whole foods service where most of the meal is
prepared or prepped at a central site and finished at the satellite as well as the satellite being
responsible for preparation of and maintenance of sa lad bars
In BVSD that means that some sites are over equipped as satellites and some are underequipped For
the most part the underequipped sites fall in the category of the current satellite kitchens4 In addition
4 Site Improvement Overview - Electronic Attachment to Report
15 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
sites that currently have antique equipment sitting under hoods that could be replaced with equipment
like steamers which will enhance the quality of meals are also noted
In year one the critical needs sites will be a priority as well as retro fitting the 4 identified regional
kitchens Louisville Middle School Casey Middle School (when available) Monarch High School and
Fairview High School Changes would be made with an eye toward equipment that could be moved to
the central kitchen when it is built Primary needs are refrigeration dry storage and rapid chilling
equipment
Figure 12 Recipe for Success Staff Training
The Plan - Years Two and Three Ȃ Regional to Central
Marketing and Outreach
The list of challenges presented in year one are great and represent the core of this system change
When considering scratch cooked locally and regionally sourced meals on the scale of a district like
Boulder Valley the efficiency of the system model is critical to enabling a uniform and consistent meal
experience district wide に well prepared excellent ingredients building delicious meal choices In
essence though cooking real food may seem like a gargantuan endeavor the end result is much simpler
in concept than what Boulder Valley has been committed to for a very long time
To maintain the momentum and support for this large scale shift it is imperative that the district actively
commit to Marketing and Outreach which in the language of school food change is simply に education
The Wellness Policy work that will take place as the entry point for this project is the ongoing guide and
measure to successful change Policy that is participated in district wide will inform how the lessons of
wellness that may penetrate curriculum will reinforce and support the activities in the dining rooms
Integrating the educational and equity basis of this change work into the fabric of the district is critical
for the investment in this change to make any sense
16 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Food and Staff
As year two unfolds removal of a la carte and competitive foods will be mirrored by the beginning
implementation of scratch cooked meals The stress of changing habits and implementing new
standards of practice means lots of training and lots of support for the teams working throughout the
district (fig 12)
While the elementary sites may be grappling more with the removal of chicken nuggets the middle
schools and high school students will be facing a very different reality - デエW HゲWミIW ラa デエW さマキミキ-マヴデゲくざ
Staff training focusing on communication and dining room service interface will be very important both
in the first year and continuing as change ramps up
In this model what we remove is being replaced with something we know to be much better even if
there is resistance As the initial months can be extremely challenging for the NSD team on the ground
School and Parental support is critical to successful transition
Facilities and Equipment
In year two we will be continuing the task of updating the schools most in need so that their kitchens
and dining areas are both compatible with the model and not substandard when compared with sites
that have had more updates and attention
The regional sites not having been built as central kitchens will be adjusted also and necessary fixes can
be addressed as they come up but with a central kitchen in view investment in these sites should be
compatible with the larger model
Plans and groundbreaking for a central kitchen early in year two will make it possible to move the
production operations in year three but the heart of this proposal is to give Boulder Valley the time to
move at a pace that is compatible with the available resources and support Because of the layout in the
district and the existing cold storage and warehouse system a central kitchen site in close proximity to
receiving and storage is the most efficient long term solution for the district All the training and
systems that are grown in year two can be transferred to the central kitchen concept in year three or
four so loss of efficiency or redundancy in the process is contained as much as possible
School Support and Schedules
As every administrator knows school schedules are sacred In most districts meal times are treated as a
necessary conditionき デエW エW デラ エヮヮWミが Hデ キデ ラノS HW ェヴWデ キa IエキノSヴWミ SキSミげデ ミWWS aララS ゲゲデWミミIWく Iミ BラノSWヴ VノノW W ニミラ デエWヴWげゲ ゲWIラミSヴ program where that さミラ-ミデヴキWミデゲ ミWWSWSざ dream is
assumed since the high school students affected are not scheduled any time to eat at all
At the elementary level this model should expect to add time for either more meal periods that are
incrementally longer or existing period schedules with more time depending on the volume capacity of
the dining rooms Service lines in almost every elementary school are single lines and if the popularity
of a fresher meal program expands as is hoped more lunch periods that allow for staggering of entry
into the dining room rather than en-mass entrance with a third or half the school population at a time is
key We are aware that there are seating issues now even with very low participation in school meals
17 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
At middle schools with more complex scheduling and students not necessarily moving around their days
in grade blocks more creative stagger schedules may be needed depending on participation levels
At the high schools which possess open campuses the typical routine is not to schedule many meal
periods at all opting for a few blocks of time assuming that not many students will actually attend
High School participation will have to be monitored and scheduling adjusted as needed
The bottom line is that scheduling in a food service model that is undergoing a lot of change needs to be
a part of communication between principals and the NSD office In investing in program change the
district is also investing in culture change and vibrant and dynamic relationships between NSD and the
individual school sites will benefit the district as a whole
Financial Sustainability and Models for Change
If Boulder Valley steps into this change model national attention will be part of the picture and with that
attention the ケWゲデキラミ ラa さエラざ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iミ aaラヴS デラ Sラ デエキゲ ラヴニ キノノ HW Iラミゲデミデ デラヮキI ラa discussion To make the change sustainable will take time to allow for all the facets of the system to be
implemented and mature but throughout this process the NSD will have to continue to bring new
resources to the table
The district is currently not offering any consistent service at the breakfast level despite the fact it has
many employees on site at a majority of schools during the hours needed Understanding the needs and
potential in after school snack programs summer feeding programs and potential-offsite revenue
through catering are all ways to optimize the investment in the food service structure that is available
Yes the NSD needs year round staff to efficiently maintain and grow and that year round work can be
justified as the NSD continues to build resources
Conclusion
Boulder Valley should be commended for even considering making such a huge culture shift and as the
study team we know that Nutrition Services does want to be change-makers but we also know they
cannot do it alone They need the support of the Valley when considering the potential of change We
need to remember that food service workers in schools interact with more of the student body than all
other employees in a school district Lunchrooms can and should be part of the recipe for creating
school environments that nurture children into adults equipped to live long and productive lives and
Boulder has taken a big leap toward entering that groundbreaking arena
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
12 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Accountability and Transparency Through Seamless Reporting
Use of the variety of software available to the NSD is critical to efficiency in this multi unit meal
program Several key components will need to be implemented to maximize efficiency and
transparency in reporting as follows
1 Full implementation of VBOSS as the primary inventory based food service management tool for
all facets of NSD program
2 LキミニェW ラa VBOldquoldquo Sデ デラ Lゲラミ デ デエW さヮラゲデWS キミラキIWざ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW Iエキミ ラa マラWマWミデ aヴラマ order to receiving Accounting and IT have agreed this is a possible solution and change to a
planned linkage earlier in the flow of records which would not have allowed NSD to use VBOSS
to its full potential
3 Further exploration of long term cost effectiveness of DBS Point of Sale program as the primary
tool for on-site sales and records for State and Federal review Use of VBOSS for POS would
expand the transparency of the movement of purchased and produced goods from warehouse
to central kitchen to student but further review is needed
4 Implementation of a fully cashless system at all grade levels
The continued implementation of POS systems throughout federally funded school districts is a
direct response to the inequity of federally funded free and reduced meal recipients being
キSWミデキaキWS キミ デエW ノミIエヴララマく Cラママラミ デラ デエキゲ ヮヴIデキIW キゲ ゲWヮヴデW さaヴWW マWノざ ノキミWく Tエラェエ Boulder has moved to a blended line as well as a POS style service its willingness to continue to
accept cash particularly at Middle and High School operations highlights and enlarges the still
obvious inequity of dining in the Boulder Valley School District In addition the labor and
potential loss in the burden of managing a cash operation can be immediately eliminated by
only accepting money for account funding に and even then it does not have to happen during
meals which slows down the line
5 Implementation of electronic time clocks linked directly to Lawson which will eliminate the
paper trails currently in use and create a more efficient interface with which to manage large
hourly staff in the department second only to transportation as far as size in the district
6 Tracking of reimbursable meal costs as a separate category from a la carte meal costs
13 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Step Four Food and Menu
Figure 9 Examples of A la Carte a School Meal and Menu Meal Components in Boulder Valley
Figure 10 Scratch Middle School Lunch California Figure 11 Scratch Elementary Lunch Michigan
Aゲ ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ ゲデS デエW さゲラSキマ ゲラヮゲざ エW HWWミ ヴWマラWS aヴラマ BVldquoD ゲIエララノゲ but the process
that led BVSD to the model it has now に primarily industrially grown and processed foods に reflects the
trends of the last 25 years a reduction of investment in personnel training and ingredients (fig 9)
To change this paradigm BVSD as a community will have to fully support and be passionate about the
opportunity and future of real food (fig 10 11) otherwise the investment in change is lost before it has
begun
In year one the focus in food change will be to improve the ingredients in the reimbursable meal
program and simplify and improve the ingredient content of a la carte foods offered for sale Goals for
ingredient content must be more innovative than the simple 351035 formula that the USDA offers
school districts as their barラマWデWヴ デラ WノデW デエW ノデWゲデ ゲミIニ aララSく さldquoミIニざ エキIエ エゲ ノラミェ エキゲデラヴ キミ BラノSWヴ ミWWSゲ デラ マラヴヮエ キミデラ さマWノがざ and the guidelines on what constitutes food will change from
ingredient listings with ヵヰ キデWマゲ W Iミげデ キSWミデキa デラ WキデエWヴ aララSゲ W ニミラ H ゲight or packaged foods
with ingredients we can easily identify
Use of commodity entitlement funds are a key component of the cost structure in school meals though
さa necessary eviノざ would be the way our study team would describe the commodity entitlement
program Until federal policy shifts on the use and content of commodity entitlement foods we
14 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
ヴWIラママWミS aラIゲキミェ ラミ デエW ノWゲデ さSマェキミェざ キデWマゲ キミ デエW Iラママラdity list avoiding processing and
choosing brown box and raw items
Improvement and implementation of sa lad bars in all elementary and middle schools will be the most
direct and expedient improvement we can make to the overall meal program in year one Facility
improvement and training is critical to this process and shifts will be phased in as the system can
support it
Remove flavored milk from the district Consumption of milk in Boulder is exceptionally high with
annual units sold in excess of 12 million considering the reimbursable meal counts of breakfast and
lunch combined total 132 million meals Flavored milk is driving this volume as its purchase out-
numbers plain milk 4 to 1 Sugar is a powerful draw and the average flavored milk packs an additional
14-16 grams of sugar per serving over plain milk This amounts to 5 to 6 pounds of sugar over the
course of the school year if consumed daily Sugar is the one key ingredient the USDA does not limit in
food product compositions served in American schools Sugared milk simply does not have a place
within innovative program change
Shifting from individually packaged milk to bulk dispensed milk is both efficient and improves the milk
experience as the milk is colder and tastes better The cost savings in bulk dispensing also increases the
possibility of the district being able to afford organic milk
Step Five Facilities Improvements Boulder is fortunate to have kitchens Unfortunately cooking from scratch at all sites is not a practical
or affordable solution Though BVSD has continued to spec and build kitchens for cooking the district
shift to prepackaged food drives those investments to a mute point Very little real food is actually
handled in the district and though it would be fantastic to staff the kitchens with enough people and
In large scale scratch cooking with the goal to provide each child with the same experience leveraging
facilities improvements and personnel into fewer sites is a reasonablW IラマヮヴラマキゲWく Iミ BVldquoDげゲ IゲWが given the current participation and projection that acceptance to real food will take some time cooking
at four regional sites will be possible until a central kitchen facility can be built
To maintain quality food will no longer be transported hot に which though it happens rarely in Boulder
due to the reliance on boxed foods it creates an opportunity for degradation of the food quality (over
cooked) and unsafe transport temperatures A cook and chill bulk operation paired with some cooking
at sites that have enough staff (for example steaming broccoli for service instead of cooking chilling and
reheating broccoli) is a proven method for successful whole foods service where most of the meal is
prepared or prepped at a central site and finished at the satellite as well as the satellite being
responsible for preparation of and maintenance of sa lad bars
In BVSD that means that some sites are over equipped as satellites and some are underequipped For
the most part the underequipped sites fall in the category of the current satellite kitchens4 In addition
4 Site Improvement Overview - Electronic Attachment to Report
15 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
sites that currently have antique equipment sitting under hoods that could be replaced with equipment
like steamers which will enhance the quality of meals are also noted
In year one the critical needs sites will be a priority as well as retro fitting the 4 identified regional
kitchens Louisville Middle School Casey Middle School (when available) Monarch High School and
Fairview High School Changes would be made with an eye toward equipment that could be moved to
the central kitchen when it is built Primary needs are refrigeration dry storage and rapid chilling
equipment
Figure 12 Recipe for Success Staff Training
The Plan - Years Two and Three Ȃ Regional to Central
Marketing and Outreach
The list of challenges presented in year one are great and represent the core of this system change
When considering scratch cooked locally and regionally sourced meals on the scale of a district like
Boulder Valley the efficiency of the system model is critical to enabling a uniform and consistent meal
experience district wide に well prepared excellent ingredients building delicious meal choices In
essence though cooking real food may seem like a gargantuan endeavor the end result is much simpler
in concept than what Boulder Valley has been committed to for a very long time
To maintain the momentum and support for this large scale shift it is imperative that the district actively
commit to Marketing and Outreach which in the language of school food change is simply に education
The Wellness Policy work that will take place as the entry point for this project is the ongoing guide and
measure to successful change Policy that is participated in district wide will inform how the lessons of
wellness that may penetrate curriculum will reinforce and support the activities in the dining rooms
Integrating the educational and equity basis of this change work into the fabric of the district is critical
for the investment in this change to make any sense
16 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Food and Staff
As year two unfolds removal of a la carte and competitive foods will be mirrored by the beginning
implementation of scratch cooked meals The stress of changing habits and implementing new
standards of practice means lots of training and lots of support for the teams working throughout the
district (fig 12)
While the elementary sites may be grappling more with the removal of chicken nuggets the middle
schools and high school students will be facing a very different reality - デエW HゲWミIW ラa デエW さマキミキ-マヴデゲくざ
Staff training focusing on communication and dining room service interface will be very important both
in the first year and continuing as change ramps up
In this model what we remove is being replaced with something we know to be much better even if
there is resistance As the initial months can be extremely challenging for the NSD team on the ground
School and Parental support is critical to successful transition
Facilities and Equipment
In year two we will be continuing the task of updating the schools most in need so that their kitchens
and dining areas are both compatible with the model and not substandard when compared with sites
that have had more updates and attention
The regional sites not having been built as central kitchens will be adjusted also and necessary fixes can
be addressed as they come up but with a central kitchen in view investment in these sites should be
compatible with the larger model
Plans and groundbreaking for a central kitchen early in year two will make it possible to move the
production operations in year three but the heart of this proposal is to give Boulder Valley the time to
move at a pace that is compatible with the available resources and support Because of the layout in the
district and the existing cold storage and warehouse system a central kitchen site in close proximity to
receiving and storage is the most efficient long term solution for the district All the training and
systems that are grown in year two can be transferred to the central kitchen concept in year three or
four so loss of efficiency or redundancy in the process is contained as much as possible
School Support and Schedules
As every administrator knows school schedules are sacred In most districts meal times are treated as a
necessary conditionき デエW エW デラ エヮヮWミが Hデ キデ ラノS HW ェヴWデ キa IエキノSヴWミ SキSミげデ ミWWS aララS ゲゲデWミミIWく Iミ BラノSWヴ VノノW W ニミラ デエWヴWげゲ ゲWIラミSヴ program where that さミラ-ミデヴキWミデゲ ミWWSWSざ dream is
assumed since the high school students affected are not scheduled any time to eat at all
At the elementary level this model should expect to add time for either more meal periods that are
incrementally longer or existing period schedules with more time depending on the volume capacity of
the dining rooms Service lines in almost every elementary school are single lines and if the popularity
of a fresher meal program expands as is hoped more lunch periods that allow for staggering of entry
into the dining room rather than en-mass entrance with a third or half the school population at a time is
key We are aware that there are seating issues now even with very low participation in school meals
17 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
At middle schools with more complex scheduling and students not necessarily moving around their days
in grade blocks more creative stagger schedules may be needed depending on participation levels
At the high schools which possess open campuses the typical routine is not to schedule many meal
periods at all opting for a few blocks of time assuming that not many students will actually attend
High School participation will have to be monitored and scheduling adjusted as needed
The bottom line is that scheduling in a food service model that is undergoing a lot of change needs to be
a part of communication between principals and the NSD office In investing in program change the
district is also investing in culture change and vibrant and dynamic relationships between NSD and the
individual school sites will benefit the district as a whole
Financial Sustainability and Models for Change
If Boulder Valley steps into this change model national attention will be part of the picture and with that
attention the ケWゲデキラミ ラa さエラざ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iミ aaラヴS デラ Sラ デエキゲ ラヴニ キノノ HW Iラミゲデミデ デラヮキI ラa discussion To make the change sustainable will take time to allow for all the facets of the system to be
implemented and mature but throughout this process the NSD will have to continue to bring new
resources to the table
The district is currently not offering any consistent service at the breakfast level despite the fact it has
many employees on site at a majority of schools during the hours needed Understanding the needs and
potential in after school snack programs summer feeding programs and potential-offsite revenue
through catering are all ways to optimize the investment in the food service structure that is available
Yes the NSD needs year round staff to efficiently maintain and grow and that year round work can be
justified as the NSD continues to build resources
Conclusion
Boulder Valley should be commended for even considering making such a huge culture shift and as the
study team we know that Nutrition Services does want to be change-makers but we also know they
cannot do it alone They need the support of the Valley when considering the potential of change We
need to remember that food service workers in schools interact with more of the student body than all
other employees in a school district Lunchrooms can and should be part of the recipe for creating
school environments that nurture children into adults equipped to live long and productive lives and
Boulder has taken a big leap toward entering that groundbreaking arena
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
13 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Step Four Food and Menu
Figure 9 Examples of A la Carte a School Meal and Menu Meal Components in Boulder Valley
Figure 10 Scratch Middle School Lunch California Figure 11 Scratch Elementary Lunch Michigan
Aゲ ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ ゲデS デエW さゲラSキマ ゲラヮゲざ エW HWWミ ヴWマラWS aヴラマ BVldquoD ゲIエララノゲ but the process
that led BVSD to the model it has now に primarily industrially grown and processed foods に reflects the
trends of the last 25 years a reduction of investment in personnel training and ingredients (fig 9)
To change this paradigm BVSD as a community will have to fully support and be passionate about the
opportunity and future of real food (fig 10 11) otherwise the investment in change is lost before it has
begun
In year one the focus in food change will be to improve the ingredients in the reimbursable meal
program and simplify and improve the ingredient content of a la carte foods offered for sale Goals for
ingredient content must be more innovative than the simple 351035 formula that the USDA offers
school districts as their barラマWデWヴ デラ WノデW デエW ノデWゲデ ゲミIニ aララSく さldquoミIニざ エキIエ エゲ ノラミェ エキゲデラヴ キミ BラノSWヴ ミWWSゲ デラ マラヴヮエ キミデラ さマWノがざ and the guidelines on what constitutes food will change from
ingredient listings with ヵヰ キデWマゲ W Iミげデ キSWミデキa デラ WキデエWヴ aララSゲ W ニミラ H ゲight or packaged foods
with ingredients we can easily identify
Use of commodity entitlement funds are a key component of the cost structure in school meals though
さa necessary eviノざ would be the way our study team would describe the commodity entitlement
program Until federal policy shifts on the use and content of commodity entitlement foods we
14 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
ヴWIラママWミS aラIゲキミェ ラミ デエW ノWゲデ さSマェキミェざ キデWマゲ キミ デエW Iラママラdity list avoiding processing and
choosing brown box and raw items
Improvement and implementation of sa lad bars in all elementary and middle schools will be the most
direct and expedient improvement we can make to the overall meal program in year one Facility
improvement and training is critical to this process and shifts will be phased in as the system can
support it
Remove flavored milk from the district Consumption of milk in Boulder is exceptionally high with
annual units sold in excess of 12 million considering the reimbursable meal counts of breakfast and
lunch combined total 132 million meals Flavored milk is driving this volume as its purchase out-
numbers plain milk 4 to 1 Sugar is a powerful draw and the average flavored milk packs an additional
14-16 grams of sugar per serving over plain milk This amounts to 5 to 6 pounds of sugar over the
course of the school year if consumed daily Sugar is the one key ingredient the USDA does not limit in
food product compositions served in American schools Sugared milk simply does not have a place
within innovative program change
Shifting from individually packaged milk to bulk dispensed milk is both efficient and improves the milk
experience as the milk is colder and tastes better The cost savings in bulk dispensing also increases the
possibility of the district being able to afford organic milk
Step Five Facilities Improvements Boulder is fortunate to have kitchens Unfortunately cooking from scratch at all sites is not a practical
or affordable solution Though BVSD has continued to spec and build kitchens for cooking the district
shift to prepackaged food drives those investments to a mute point Very little real food is actually
handled in the district and though it would be fantastic to staff the kitchens with enough people and
In large scale scratch cooking with the goal to provide each child with the same experience leveraging
facilities improvements and personnel into fewer sites is a reasonablW IラマヮヴラマキゲWく Iミ BVldquoDげゲ IゲWが given the current participation and projection that acceptance to real food will take some time cooking
at four regional sites will be possible until a central kitchen facility can be built
To maintain quality food will no longer be transported hot に which though it happens rarely in Boulder
due to the reliance on boxed foods it creates an opportunity for degradation of the food quality (over
cooked) and unsafe transport temperatures A cook and chill bulk operation paired with some cooking
at sites that have enough staff (for example steaming broccoli for service instead of cooking chilling and
reheating broccoli) is a proven method for successful whole foods service where most of the meal is
prepared or prepped at a central site and finished at the satellite as well as the satellite being
responsible for preparation of and maintenance of sa lad bars
In BVSD that means that some sites are over equipped as satellites and some are underequipped For
the most part the underequipped sites fall in the category of the current satellite kitchens4 In addition
4 Site Improvement Overview - Electronic Attachment to Report
15 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
sites that currently have antique equipment sitting under hoods that could be replaced with equipment
like steamers which will enhance the quality of meals are also noted
In year one the critical needs sites will be a priority as well as retro fitting the 4 identified regional
kitchens Louisville Middle School Casey Middle School (when available) Monarch High School and
Fairview High School Changes would be made with an eye toward equipment that could be moved to
the central kitchen when it is built Primary needs are refrigeration dry storage and rapid chilling
equipment
Figure 12 Recipe for Success Staff Training
The Plan - Years Two and Three Ȃ Regional to Central
Marketing and Outreach
The list of challenges presented in year one are great and represent the core of this system change
When considering scratch cooked locally and regionally sourced meals on the scale of a district like
Boulder Valley the efficiency of the system model is critical to enabling a uniform and consistent meal
experience district wide に well prepared excellent ingredients building delicious meal choices In
essence though cooking real food may seem like a gargantuan endeavor the end result is much simpler
in concept than what Boulder Valley has been committed to for a very long time
To maintain the momentum and support for this large scale shift it is imperative that the district actively
commit to Marketing and Outreach which in the language of school food change is simply に education
The Wellness Policy work that will take place as the entry point for this project is the ongoing guide and
measure to successful change Policy that is participated in district wide will inform how the lessons of
wellness that may penetrate curriculum will reinforce and support the activities in the dining rooms
Integrating the educational and equity basis of this change work into the fabric of the district is critical
for the investment in this change to make any sense
16 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Food and Staff
As year two unfolds removal of a la carte and competitive foods will be mirrored by the beginning
implementation of scratch cooked meals The stress of changing habits and implementing new
standards of practice means lots of training and lots of support for the teams working throughout the
district (fig 12)
While the elementary sites may be grappling more with the removal of chicken nuggets the middle
schools and high school students will be facing a very different reality - デエW HゲWミIW ラa デエW さマキミキ-マヴデゲくざ
Staff training focusing on communication and dining room service interface will be very important both
in the first year and continuing as change ramps up
In this model what we remove is being replaced with something we know to be much better even if
there is resistance As the initial months can be extremely challenging for the NSD team on the ground
School and Parental support is critical to successful transition
Facilities and Equipment
In year two we will be continuing the task of updating the schools most in need so that their kitchens
and dining areas are both compatible with the model and not substandard when compared with sites
that have had more updates and attention
The regional sites not having been built as central kitchens will be adjusted also and necessary fixes can
be addressed as they come up but with a central kitchen in view investment in these sites should be
compatible with the larger model
Plans and groundbreaking for a central kitchen early in year two will make it possible to move the
production operations in year three but the heart of this proposal is to give Boulder Valley the time to
move at a pace that is compatible with the available resources and support Because of the layout in the
district and the existing cold storage and warehouse system a central kitchen site in close proximity to
receiving and storage is the most efficient long term solution for the district All the training and
systems that are grown in year two can be transferred to the central kitchen concept in year three or
four so loss of efficiency or redundancy in the process is contained as much as possible
School Support and Schedules
As every administrator knows school schedules are sacred In most districts meal times are treated as a
necessary conditionき デエW エW デラ エヮヮWミが Hデ キデ ラノS HW ェヴWデ キa IエキノSヴWミ SキSミげデ ミWWS aララS ゲゲデWミミIWく Iミ BラノSWヴ VノノW W ニミラ デエWヴWげゲ ゲWIラミSヴ program where that さミラ-ミデヴキWミデゲ ミWWSWSざ dream is
assumed since the high school students affected are not scheduled any time to eat at all
At the elementary level this model should expect to add time for either more meal periods that are
incrementally longer or existing period schedules with more time depending on the volume capacity of
the dining rooms Service lines in almost every elementary school are single lines and if the popularity
of a fresher meal program expands as is hoped more lunch periods that allow for staggering of entry
into the dining room rather than en-mass entrance with a third or half the school population at a time is
key We are aware that there are seating issues now even with very low participation in school meals
17 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
At middle schools with more complex scheduling and students not necessarily moving around their days
in grade blocks more creative stagger schedules may be needed depending on participation levels
At the high schools which possess open campuses the typical routine is not to schedule many meal
periods at all opting for a few blocks of time assuming that not many students will actually attend
High School participation will have to be monitored and scheduling adjusted as needed
The bottom line is that scheduling in a food service model that is undergoing a lot of change needs to be
a part of communication between principals and the NSD office In investing in program change the
district is also investing in culture change and vibrant and dynamic relationships between NSD and the
individual school sites will benefit the district as a whole
Financial Sustainability and Models for Change
If Boulder Valley steps into this change model national attention will be part of the picture and with that
attention the ケWゲデキラミ ラa さエラざ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iミ aaラヴS デラ Sラ デエキゲ ラヴニ キノノ HW Iラミゲデミデ デラヮキI ラa discussion To make the change sustainable will take time to allow for all the facets of the system to be
implemented and mature but throughout this process the NSD will have to continue to bring new
resources to the table
The district is currently not offering any consistent service at the breakfast level despite the fact it has
many employees on site at a majority of schools during the hours needed Understanding the needs and
potential in after school snack programs summer feeding programs and potential-offsite revenue
through catering are all ways to optimize the investment in the food service structure that is available
Yes the NSD needs year round staff to efficiently maintain and grow and that year round work can be
justified as the NSD continues to build resources
Conclusion
Boulder Valley should be commended for even considering making such a huge culture shift and as the
study team we know that Nutrition Services does want to be change-makers but we also know they
cannot do it alone They need the support of the Valley when considering the potential of change We
need to remember that food service workers in schools interact with more of the student body than all
other employees in a school district Lunchrooms can and should be part of the recipe for creating
school environments that nurture children into adults equipped to live long and productive lives and
Boulder has taken a big leap toward entering that groundbreaking arena
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
14 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
ヴWIラママWミS aラIゲキミェ ラミ デエW ノWゲデ さSマェキミェざ キデWマゲ キミ デエW Iラママラdity list avoiding processing and
choosing brown box and raw items
Improvement and implementation of sa lad bars in all elementary and middle schools will be the most
direct and expedient improvement we can make to the overall meal program in year one Facility
improvement and training is critical to this process and shifts will be phased in as the system can
support it
Remove flavored milk from the district Consumption of milk in Boulder is exceptionally high with
annual units sold in excess of 12 million considering the reimbursable meal counts of breakfast and
lunch combined total 132 million meals Flavored milk is driving this volume as its purchase out-
numbers plain milk 4 to 1 Sugar is a powerful draw and the average flavored milk packs an additional
14-16 grams of sugar per serving over plain milk This amounts to 5 to 6 pounds of sugar over the
course of the school year if consumed daily Sugar is the one key ingredient the USDA does not limit in
food product compositions served in American schools Sugared milk simply does not have a place
within innovative program change
Shifting from individually packaged milk to bulk dispensed milk is both efficient and improves the milk
experience as the milk is colder and tastes better The cost savings in bulk dispensing also increases the
possibility of the district being able to afford organic milk
Step Five Facilities Improvements Boulder is fortunate to have kitchens Unfortunately cooking from scratch at all sites is not a practical
or affordable solution Though BVSD has continued to spec and build kitchens for cooking the district
shift to prepackaged food drives those investments to a mute point Very little real food is actually
handled in the district and though it would be fantastic to staff the kitchens with enough people and
In large scale scratch cooking with the goal to provide each child with the same experience leveraging
facilities improvements and personnel into fewer sites is a reasonablW IラマヮヴラマキゲWく Iミ BVldquoDげゲ IゲWが given the current participation and projection that acceptance to real food will take some time cooking
at four regional sites will be possible until a central kitchen facility can be built
To maintain quality food will no longer be transported hot に which though it happens rarely in Boulder
due to the reliance on boxed foods it creates an opportunity for degradation of the food quality (over
cooked) and unsafe transport temperatures A cook and chill bulk operation paired with some cooking
at sites that have enough staff (for example steaming broccoli for service instead of cooking chilling and
reheating broccoli) is a proven method for successful whole foods service where most of the meal is
prepared or prepped at a central site and finished at the satellite as well as the satellite being
responsible for preparation of and maintenance of sa lad bars
In BVSD that means that some sites are over equipped as satellites and some are underequipped For
the most part the underequipped sites fall in the category of the current satellite kitchens4 In addition
4 Site Improvement Overview - Electronic Attachment to Report
15 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
sites that currently have antique equipment sitting under hoods that could be replaced with equipment
like steamers which will enhance the quality of meals are also noted
In year one the critical needs sites will be a priority as well as retro fitting the 4 identified regional
kitchens Louisville Middle School Casey Middle School (when available) Monarch High School and
Fairview High School Changes would be made with an eye toward equipment that could be moved to
the central kitchen when it is built Primary needs are refrigeration dry storage and rapid chilling
equipment
Figure 12 Recipe for Success Staff Training
The Plan - Years Two and Three Ȃ Regional to Central
Marketing and Outreach
The list of challenges presented in year one are great and represent the core of this system change
When considering scratch cooked locally and regionally sourced meals on the scale of a district like
Boulder Valley the efficiency of the system model is critical to enabling a uniform and consistent meal
experience district wide に well prepared excellent ingredients building delicious meal choices In
essence though cooking real food may seem like a gargantuan endeavor the end result is much simpler
in concept than what Boulder Valley has been committed to for a very long time
To maintain the momentum and support for this large scale shift it is imperative that the district actively
commit to Marketing and Outreach which in the language of school food change is simply に education
The Wellness Policy work that will take place as the entry point for this project is the ongoing guide and
measure to successful change Policy that is participated in district wide will inform how the lessons of
wellness that may penetrate curriculum will reinforce and support the activities in the dining rooms
Integrating the educational and equity basis of this change work into the fabric of the district is critical
for the investment in this change to make any sense
16 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Food and Staff
As year two unfolds removal of a la carte and competitive foods will be mirrored by the beginning
implementation of scratch cooked meals The stress of changing habits and implementing new
standards of practice means lots of training and lots of support for the teams working throughout the
district (fig 12)
While the elementary sites may be grappling more with the removal of chicken nuggets the middle
schools and high school students will be facing a very different reality - デエW HゲWミIW ラa デエW さマキミキ-マヴデゲくざ
Staff training focusing on communication and dining room service interface will be very important both
in the first year and continuing as change ramps up
In this model what we remove is being replaced with something we know to be much better even if
there is resistance As the initial months can be extremely challenging for the NSD team on the ground
School and Parental support is critical to successful transition
Facilities and Equipment
In year two we will be continuing the task of updating the schools most in need so that their kitchens
and dining areas are both compatible with the model and not substandard when compared with sites
that have had more updates and attention
The regional sites not having been built as central kitchens will be adjusted also and necessary fixes can
be addressed as they come up but with a central kitchen in view investment in these sites should be
compatible with the larger model
Plans and groundbreaking for a central kitchen early in year two will make it possible to move the
production operations in year three but the heart of this proposal is to give Boulder Valley the time to
move at a pace that is compatible with the available resources and support Because of the layout in the
district and the existing cold storage and warehouse system a central kitchen site in close proximity to
receiving and storage is the most efficient long term solution for the district All the training and
systems that are grown in year two can be transferred to the central kitchen concept in year three or
four so loss of efficiency or redundancy in the process is contained as much as possible
School Support and Schedules
As every administrator knows school schedules are sacred In most districts meal times are treated as a
necessary conditionき デエW エW デラ エヮヮWミが Hデ キデ ラノS HW ェヴWデ キa IエキノSヴWミ SキSミげデ ミWWS aララS ゲゲデWミミIWく Iミ BラノSWヴ VノノW W ニミラ デエWヴWげゲ ゲWIラミSヴ program where that さミラ-ミデヴキWミデゲ ミWWSWSざ dream is
assumed since the high school students affected are not scheduled any time to eat at all
At the elementary level this model should expect to add time for either more meal periods that are
incrementally longer or existing period schedules with more time depending on the volume capacity of
the dining rooms Service lines in almost every elementary school are single lines and if the popularity
of a fresher meal program expands as is hoped more lunch periods that allow for staggering of entry
into the dining room rather than en-mass entrance with a third or half the school population at a time is
key We are aware that there are seating issues now even with very low participation in school meals
17 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
At middle schools with more complex scheduling and students not necessarily moving around their days
in grade blocks more creative stagger schedules may be needed depending on participation levels
At the high schools which possess open campuses the typical routine is not to schedule many meal
periods at all opting for a few blocks of time assuming that not many students will actually attend
High School participation will have to be monitored and scheduling adjusted as needed
The bottom line is that scheduling in a food service model that is undergoing a lot of change needs to be
a part of communication between principals and the NSD office In investing in program change the
district is also investing in culture change and vibrant and dynamic relationships between NSD and the
individual school sites will benefit the district as a whole
Financial Sustainability and Models for Change
If Boulder Valley steps into this change model national attention will be part of the picture and with that
attention the ケWゲデキラミ ラa さエラざ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iミ aaラヴS デラ Sラ デエキゲ ラヴニ キノノ HW Iラミゲデミデ デラヮキI ラa discussion To make the change sustainable will take time to allow for all the facets of the system to be
implemented and mature but throughout this process the NSD will have to continue to bring new
resources to the table
The district is currently not offering any consistent service at the breakfast level despite the fact it has
many employees on site at a majority of schools during the hours needed Understanding the needs and
potential in after school snack programs summer feeding programs and potential-offsite revenue
through catering are all ways to optimize the investment in the food service structure that is available
Yes the NSD needs year round staff to efficiently maintain and grow and that year round work can be
justified as the NSD continues to build resources
Conclusion
Boulder Valley should be commended for even considering making such a huge culture shift and as the
study team we know that Nutrition Services does want to be change-makers but we also know they
cannot do it alone They need the support of the Valley when considering the potential of change We
need to remember that food service workers in schools interact with more of the student body than all
other employees in a school district Lunchrooms can and should be part of the recipe for creating
school environments that nurture children into adults equipped to live long and productive lives and
Boulder has taken a big leap toward entering that groundbreaking arena
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
15 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
sites that currently have antique equipment sitting under hoods that could be replaced with equipment
like steamers which will enhance the quality of meals are also noted
In year one the critical needs sites will be a priority as well as retro fitting the 4 identified regional
kitchens Louisville Middle School Casey Middle School (when available) Monarch High School and
Fairview High School Changes would be made with an eye toward equipment that could be moved to
the central kitchen when it is built Primary needs are refrigeration dry storage and rapid chilling
equipment
Figure 12 Recipe for Success Staff Training
The Plan - Years Two and Three Ȃ Regional to Central
Marketing and Outreach
The list of challenges presented in year one are great and represent the core of this system change
When considering scratch cooked locally and regionally sourced meals on the scale of a district like
Boulder Valley the efficiency of the system model is critical to enabling a uniform and consistent meal
experience district wide に well prepared excellent ingredients building delicious meal choices In
essence though cooking real food may seem like a gargantuan endeavor the end result is much simpler
in concept than what Boulder Valley has been committed to for a very long time
To maintain the momentum and support for this large scale shift it is imperative that the district actively
commit to Marketing and Outreach which in the language of school food change is simply に education
The Wellness Policy work that will take place as the entry point for this project is the ongoing guide and
measure to successful change Policy that is participated in district wide will inform how the lessons of
wellness that may penetrate curriculum will reinforce and support the activities in the dining rooms
Integrating the educational and equity basis of this change work into the fabric of the district is critical
for the investment in this change to make any sense
16 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Food and Staff
As year two unfolds removal of a la carte and competitive foods will be mirrored by the beginning
implementation of scratch cooked meals The stress of changing habits and implementing new
standards of practice means lots of training and lots of support for the teams working throughout the
district (fig 12)
While the elementary sites may be grappling more with the removal of chicken nuggets the middle
schools and high school students will be facing a very different reality - デエW HゲWミIW ラa デエW さマキミキ-マヴデゲくざ
Staff training focusing on communication and dining room service interface will be very important both
in the first year and continuing as change ramps up
In this model what we remove is being replaced with something we know to be much better even if
there is resistance As the initial months can be extremely challenging for the NSD team on the ground
School and Parental support is critical to successful transition
Facilities and Equipment
In year two we will be continuing the task of updating the schools most in need so that their kitchens
and dining areas are both compatible with the model and not substandard when compared with sites
that have had more updates and attention
The regional sites not having been built as central kitchens will be adjusted also and necessary fixes can
be addressed as they come up but with a central kitchen in view investment in these sites should be
compatible with the larger model
Plans and groundbreaking for a central kitchen early in year two will make it possible to move the
production operations in year three but the heart of this proposal is to give Boulder Valley the time to
move at a pace that is compatible with the available resources and support Because of the layout in the
district and the existing cold storage and warehouse system a central kitchen site in close proximity to
receiving and storage is the most efficient long term solution for the district All the training and
systems that are grown in year two can be transferred to the central kitchen concept in year three or
four so loss of efficiency or redundancy in the process is contained as much as possible
School Support and Schedules
As every administrator knows school schedules are sacred In most districts meal times are treated as a
necessary conditionき デエW エW デラ エヮヮWミが Hデ キデ ラノS HW ェヴWデ キa IエキノSヴWミ SキSミげデ ミWWS aララS ゲゲデWミミIWく Iミ BラノSWヴ VノノW W ニミラ デエWヴWげゲ ゲWIラミSヴ program where that さミラ-ミデヴキWミデゲ ミWWSWSざ dream is
assumed since the high school students affected are not scheduled any time to eat at all
At the elementary level this model should expect to add time for either more meal periods that are
incrementally longer or existing period schedules with more time depending on the volume capacity of
the dining rooms Service lines in almost every elementary school are single lines and if the popularity
of a fresher meal program expands as is hoped more lunch periods that allow for staggering of entry
into the dining room rather than en-mass entrance with a third or half the school population at a time is
key We are aware that there are seating issues now even with very low participation in school meals
17 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
At middle schools with more complex scheduling and students not necessarily moving around their days
in grade blocks more creative stagger schedules may be needed depending on participation levels
At the high schools which possess open campuses the typical routine is not to schedule many meal
periods at all opting for a few blocks of time assuming that not many students will actually attend
High School participation will have to be monitored and scheduling adjusted as needed
The bottom line is that scheduling in a food service model that is undergoing a lot of change needs to be
a part of communication between principals and the NSD office In investing in program change the
district is also investing in culture change and vibrant and dynamic relationships between NSD and the
individual school sites will benefit the district as a whole
Financial Sustainability and Models for Change
If Boulder Valley steps into this change model national attention will be part of the picture and with that
attention the ケWゲデキラミ ラa さエラざ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iミ aaラヴS デラ Sラ デエキゲ ラヴニ キノノ HW Iラミゲデミデ デラヮキI ラa discussion To make the change sustainable will take time to allow for all the facets of the system to be
implemented and mature but throughout this process the NSD will have to continue to bring new
resources to the table
The district is currently not offering any consistent service at the breakfast level despite the fact it has
many employees on site at a majority of schools during the hours needed Understanding the needs and
potential in after school snack programs summer feeding programs and potential-offsite revenue
through catering are all ways to optimize the investment in the food service structure that is available
Yes the NSD needs year round staff to efficiently maintain and grow and that year round work can be
justified as the NSD continues to build resources
Conclusion
Boulder Valley should be commended for even considering making such a huge culture shift and as the
study team we know that Nutrition Services does want to be change-makers but we also know they
cannot do it alone They need the support of the Valley when considering the potential of change We
need to remember that food service workers in schools interact with more of the student body than all
other employees in a school district Lunchrooms can and should be part of the recipe for creating
school environments that nurture children into adults equipped to live long and productive lives and
Boulder has taken a big leap toward entering that groundbreaking arena
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
16 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Food and Staff
As year two unfolds removal of a la carte and competitive foods will be mirrored by the beginning
implementation of scratch cooked meals The stress of changing habits and implementing new
standards of practice means lots of training and lots of support for the teams working throughout the
district (fig 12)
While the elementary sites may be grappling more with the removal of chicken nuggets the middle
schools and high school students will be facing a very different reality - デエW HゲWミIW ラa デエW さマキミキ-マヴデゲくざ
Staff training focusing on communication and dining room service interface will be very important both
in the first year and continuing as change ramps up
In this model what we remove is being replaced with something we know to be much better even if
there is resistance As the initial months can be extremely challenging for the NSD team on the ground
School and Parental support is critical to successful transition
Facilities and Equipment
In year two we will be continuing the task of updating the schools most in need so that their kitchens
and dining areas are both compatible with the model and not substandard when compared with sites
that have had more updates and attention
The regional sites not having been built as central kitchens will be adjusted also and necessary fixes can
be addressed as they come up but with a central kitchen in view investment in these sites should be
compatible with the larger model
Plans and groundbreaking for a central kitchen early in year two will make it possible to move the
production operations in year three but the heart of this proposal is to give Boulder Valley the time to
move at a pace that is compatible with the available resources and support Because of the layout in the
district and the existing cold storage and warehouse system a central kitchen site in close proximity to
receiving and storage is the most efficient long term solution for the district All the training and
systems that are grown in year two can be transferred to the central kitchen concept in year three or
four so loss of efficiency or redundancy in the process is contained as much as possible
School Support and Schedules
As every administrator knows school schedules are sacred In most districts meal times are treated as a
necessary conditionき デエW エW デラ エヮヮWミが Hデ キデ ラノS HW ェヴWデ キa IエキノSヴWミ SキSミげデ ミWWS aララS ゲゲデWミミIWく Iミ BラノSWヴ VノノW W ニミラ デエWヴWげゲ ゲWIラミSヴ program where that さミラ-ミデヴキWミデゲ ミWWSWSざ dream is
assumed since the high school students affected are not scheduled any time to eat at all
At the elementary level this model should expect to add time for either more meal periods that are
incrementally longer or existing period schedules with more time depending on the volume capacity of
the dining rooms Service lines in almost every elementary school are single lines and if the popularity
of a fresher meal program expands as is hoped more lunch periods that allow for staggering of entry
into the dining room rather than en-mass entrance with a third or half the school population at a time is
key We are aware that there are seating issues now even with very low participation in school meals
17 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
At middle schools with more complex scheduling and students not necessarily moving around their days
in grade blocks more creative stagger schedules may be needed depending on participation levels
At the high schools which possess open campuses the typical routine is not to schedule many meal
periods at all opting for a few blocks of time assuming that not many students will actually attend
High School participation will have to be monitored and scheduling adjusted as needed
The bottom line is that scheduling in a food service model that is undergoing a lot of change needs to be
a part of communication between principals and the NSD office In investing in program change the
district is also investing in culture change and vibrant and dynamic relationships between NSD and the
individual school sites will benefit the district as a whole
Financial Sustainability and Models for Change
If Boulder Valley steps into this change model national attention will be part of the picture and with that
attention the ケWゲデキラミ ラa さエラざ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iミ aaラヴS デラ Sラ デエキゲ ラヴニ キノノ HW Iラミゲデミデ デラヮキI ラa discussion To make the change sustainable will take time to allow for all the facets of the system to be
implemented and mature but throughout this process the NSD will have to continue to bring new
resources to the table
The district is currently not offering any consistent service at the breakfast level despite the fact it has
many employees on site at a majority of schools during the hours needed Understanding the needs and
potential in after school snack programs summer feeding programs and potential-offsite revenue
through catering are all ways to optimize the investment in the food service structure that is available
Yes the NSD needs year round staff to efficiently maintain and grow and that year round work can be
justified as the NSD continues to build resources
Conclusion
Boulder Valley should be commended for even considering making such a huge culture shift and as the
study team we know that Nutrition Services does want to be change-makers but we also know they
cannot do it alone They need the support of the Valley when considering the potential of change We
need to remember that food service workers in schools interact with more of the student body than all
other employees in a school district Lunchrooms can and should be part of the recipe for creating
school environments that nurture children into adults equipped to live long and productive lives and
Boulder has taken a big leap toward entering that groundbreaking arena
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
17 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
At middle schools with more complex scheduling and students not necessarily moving around their days
in grade blocks more creative stagger schedules may be needed depending on participation levels
At the high schools which possess open campuses the typical routine is not to schedule many meal
periods at all opting for a few blocks of time assuming that not many students will actually attend
High School participation will have to be monitored and scheduling adjusted as needed
The bottom line is that scheduling in a food service model that is undergoing a lot of change needs to be
a part of communication between principals and the NSD office In investing in program change the
district is also investing in culture change and vibrant and dynamic relationships between NSD and the
individual school sites will benefit the district as a whole
Financial Sustainability and Models for Change
If Boulder Valley steps into this change model national attention will be part of the picture and with that
attention the ケWゲデキラミ ラa さエラざ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iミ aaラヴS デラ Sラ デエキゲ ラヴニ キノノ HW Iラミゲデミデ デラヮキI ラa discussion To make the change sustainable will take time to allow for all the facets of the system to be
implemented and mature but throughout this process the NSD will have to continue to bring new
resources to the table
The district is currently not offering any consistent service at the breakfast level despite the fact it has
many employees on site at a majority of schools during the hours needed Understanding the needs and
potential in after school snack programs summer feeding programs and potential-offsite revenue
through catering are all ways to optimize the investment in the food service structure that is available
Yes the NSD needs year round staff to efficiently maintain and grow and that year round work can be
justified as the NSD continues to build resources
Conclusion
Boulder Valley should be commended for even considering making such a huge culture shift and as the
study team we know that Nutrition Services does want to be change-makers but we also know they
cannot do it alone They need the support of the Valley when considering the potential of change We
need to remember that food service workers in schools interact with more of the student body than all
other employees in a school district Lunchrooms can and should be part of the recipe for creating
school environments that nurture children into adults equipped to live long and productive lives and
Boulder has taken a big leap toward entering that groundbreaking arena
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
18 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Site Improvement Overview LキゲデぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐAttachment 2
Progress Report One May 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく19-31
Progress Report Two July 2008ぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐくく32-43
List of Items on File at Business Services Officesぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐぐく44
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
19 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report One
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
May 2008
Contents
INTRODUCTION AND ASSUMPTIONS 20
SCHOOL SITES 21
Production Kitchens
Solo Kitchens
Satellite Kitchens
Equipment
Food
Dining Rooms
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE 26
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 28
Team
Technology
Ordering
Menu
STUDY NEXT STEPS 31
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
20 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Introduction and Report Assumptions
The focus of the first visit to Boulder by the study team was site visits Over two weeks three of us
Beth Collins Coleen Donnelly and Marguerite Lauro visited 40 of the 46 sites covered in the study I use
デエW デWヴマ さゲキデWざ ゲ ラヮヮラゲWS デラ さゲIエララノゲがざ ゲ several sites house both a middle school and an elementary
ゲIエララノが ラヴ キミ NWSWヴノミSげゲ IゲWが マキSSノW ゲIエララノ ミS エキェエ ゲIエララノく TエW ェラノ ラa デエW ゲキデW キゲキデゲ ゲ デラ inventory the physical plants of the kitchens and dining rooms and when possible to meet the manager
and staff of the site observe work habits and meal service The team used the same set of questions to
guide their visits took photographs and logged the equipment IDs into spreadsheets As the visits
progressed the team shared their observations daily identifying patterns of practice Those patterns
We will be returning when the schools are open again in the fall and will visit the remaining sites as well
as spot visit sites where we did not talk to anyone and in some cases given what we saw previously we
feel it would be important to see them in service at full production level Schools where renovations
were taking place this summer may be bringing a new look and organization or even in some cases a
new location to the site so we will also re-visit any construction completions
This report is organized in sections relating to summarizing the types of sites the district has namely
production sites where they prepare their own food as well as order stock and prepare foods that are
ゲエキヮヮWS デラ ゲデWノノキデWゲ ラヴ エデ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ Iノノゲ さIヴヴ ラデゲくざ TエW ミWデ IデWェラヴ キゲ エデ W ヴWaWヴ デラ ゲ ゲラノラ sites Solo sites are self contained and order stock and prepare food only for their own population and
occasionally may prepare food for a Head Start contract And finally satellites which are the recipient
partners of the production sites
Aside from the purpose these categories serve within the department it should be noted at the outset
that the district operates its schools from a site-based management perspective meaning that school
principals have more influence over the individual operation of each site This does affect nutrition
services in that they at times must satisfy both the direction of the individual school as well as following
the policy and procedure laid out by the department This is particularly important as we move forward
デラ WノデW BVldquoDげゲ IヮIキデ デラ ゲエキaデ ヮヴIデキIWく Iデ SSゲ ミ SSキデキラミノ ノyer in the evaluation that is difficult
デラ ヮキミ Sラミ HWIゲW デエW ミミIW ラa ヮヴデキIノヴ ゲIエララノげゲ マミェWマWミデ ミS エラ デエデ aaWIデゲ aララS ゲWヴキIW is not always apparent when the site is visited
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
21 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
WエWミ ヴWaWヴヴキミェ デラ さマWノゲ ヮヴラSIWSざ W キノノ aラIゲ ラミ ヴWキマHヴゲHノW マeals as a la carte sales are more
reflective of foods that the schools do not cook or prepare themselves and the formula the department
ゲWゲ デラ WケデW さマWノざ aラヴ a la carte is an average sale of $250 Through our discovery it appears that
$250 would be a low estimate for many middle and high school customers and for elementary age
purchases $250 may be too high Discovery data the study team wishes to examine but have not yet
had access to are descending dollar reports for each school site so we can interpret the volume of sales
in particular categories and compare that to sales records data from the Point of Sale computer system
Another factor affecting the content of this report is the amount of data we currently have At the
current time we do not have complete detailed data on Nutrition Services (NS) staffing from the district
offices and although we can describe preliminary impressions about staffing lack of too much etc until
we have a full disclosure of NS staffing assignments throughout the district including detail of job splits
meaning bus driverdishwasher or delivery driverserver FTEs in the NS department who work in other
departments etc we will not draw many conclusions about staffing This report will briefly summarize
our time spent in the NS District office and outline the next steps in our discovery process for this study
FACILITIESSCHOOL SITES
Production Sites
There are 11 production sites in the district They are evenly split between high schools and middle
schools with one elementary school also in the mix The production sites appear to be chosen for their
location に in that they are strategically located to be efficient locations from which to move food in a
particular area To a lesser extent production sites might have been selected for size and equipment
but clearly over time the newer schools have created an imba lance in scale particularly reflected in
storage space both dry freezer and refrigerated For example one of the largest and most well
equipped kitchens in the district Monarch High School ships out an average of 228 reimbursable meals
to two sites while Southern Hills a much older and smaller site ships out over 400 meals to four sites
One factor that is consistent among all the production sites except two Angevine and Fireside is that
their own reimbursable meal production is below 140 and some as low as 41 (Southern Hills) or 50
(Platt) A la carte volume among the various production sites is marked by high school sites having the
largest volume overall middle school production sites a la carte numbers are lower presumably
because there is more parental control at the middle school age level or in the case of Angevine the
population of the school is less advantaged and uses the freereduced meal program Since the fresh a
la IヴデW キデWマゲ ノキニW ヮキが さWラニ ミS Rラノノゲざ ミS さldquoHざ ヴW ゲラノS デエW S they are delivered there is no
storage issue related to them More significant is adequate storage for drinks and bulky dry goods
items like chips or freezer space for the cookies muffins etc
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
22 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Solo Sites
The solo sites also vary quite a bit as far as their equipment and space depending on age and location of
the site but with the exception of a few sites where a high meal count is paired with inadequate
footprint and storage (Columbine and Emerald Elementary are good examples of this) the solo sites
would be characterized as adequately equipped small kitchens even by scratch cook standards Many
solo sites possess ovens mixers walk-in coolers and freezers and adequate room to move around and
organize their service On the East side the K-8 solo sites possess large footprints and lots of equipment
relative to the number of meals they actually produce Eldorado and Monarch K-8s produce meals for
17 percent of their populations while Aspen Creek produces meals for 37 percent of theirs
Satellite Sites
Satellite sites fall into three categories sites that may have been solo sites in the past and so have more
equipment or storage than their meal count would actually call for (Mesa Bear Creek and Foothills are
good examples) or sites that simply lack footprint and facility to comfortably and in some cases safely
support meal service (University Hill Pioneer Louisville Middle and Whittier are good examples of that
category) and finally sites that fall somewhere in between the last two
Satellite sites are characterized by limited staffing meaning much shorter hours though some staff split
their days between sites The combination of lesser facilities and lack of staff time and what appears to
be less training on these sites is evident in what we found to be less organized and dirtier sites There
appears to be more use of these kitchens by other groups such as YMCA and afterschool programs に
sometimes taking up as much as half the dry storage space and adding the heat of residential
refrigerators in the dry storage areas We did not as a whole meet as many of the site managers at the
satellites because of their limited hours of operation so many of the sites were visited after or before
hours
Equipment
WエWミ ゲゲWゲゲキミェ BVldquoDげゲ ゲキデWゲ aヴラマ デエW standpoint of cooking equipment the district on the whole has
large numbers of ovens stoves deck ovens steam kettles and mixers Though the district houses all
this equipment for the most part the menu does not require much actual cooking There is a noticeable
favoring of baking equipment as compared to other standard items for example large numbers of cake
pans and many schools with more than one standing mixer Baking appears to be the last vestige of
regular scratch preparation to have been removed from the district menus This was reflected in the
repeated lament by long time employees who used to bake bread rolls cakes and cookies from scratch
We were told that the decision to remove scratch baking from the repertoire was initiated by the
retirement of 7 long time kitchen managers and the challenge of hiring and training appropriate
replacements We have not analyzed the cost difference in labor and supplies of scratch baking of prior
years to the current budget but when considering a total meal as served in the district today the value
of a scratch baked roll cookie or bun within the framework of a largely processed meal program does
carry some contradiction
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
23 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
For the most part items like convection ovens fell along numbers and types equating with production
kitchens having the most and satellites having the least - one single convection oven There is also a
presence of very old deck ovens and stoves sprinkled throughout the district even in kitchens that also
have newer equipment In many cases the deck ovens are no longer used though they do take up a
large footprint under the hoods
Though cooking and baking equipment numbers may be high by and large refrigeration space including
both walk-in freezer s and coolers varies much from site to site Larger andor newer schools fare
better in the ba lance of refrigeration space and dry storage than some of the smaller sites to the
volume of food they have to store and prepare but some sites even if they are satellites do not have
adequate dry storage or refrigeration for their operation Concern with regard to this is food safety and
because of that we will address sanitation as a separate area
We did obtain school specifications for build outs of kitchens at the elementary middle and high school
levels but the specifications are only general descriptions and are not tied to square footage
population meal count menu type or service style All three sets of specifications were exactly the
same with the only determining factor being whether the site was to be a preparation unit or a serving
unit and that the determination would be decided before design work begins What is apparent when
looking at the equipment is that the district did cook food from scratch at one time and have continued
to build kitchens with the assumption that they would be cooking as opposed to reheating and selling
ready to eat a la IヴデW キデWマゲく EWミ ヮノミゲ IヴヴWミデノ ラミ デエW デHノW Sラミげデ ノキェミ Wノノ キデエ デエW デヮW ラa ゲWヴキIW they are currently providing
A detailed cumulative district kitchen equipment distribution spreadsheet will be provided with the final
study report materials in October
Food buffet lines also vary throughout the district and because many of them are built-ins for the most
part they remain even in sites that need a different set up Use of mobile three and four well steam
デHノWゲ キゲ Iラママラミ Hデ キデ ゲエラノS HW ミラデWS デエデ マミ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ゲキミェ デHノWゲ キミデWミSWS aラヴ Sヴ エWデ ゲ さWデざ units and there appears to be a general lack of understanding of proper use and cleaning of the units In
sites where the existing built-in line is not sufficient or the layout of the space means the mobile table is
ノゲラ ミラデ ケキデW ヴキェエデが キデげゲ ミラデ ミIラママラミ デラ ゲWW デヴゲ ノキS ラデ ラミ IラミデWヴゲ HWキミェ ヮヴW-plated so the server
can hand the students their food more quickly or serve the last hot item more easily since the server
maybe working alone (very common in smaller sites)
The Food
The contradiction between the equipment and the actual food is distinct The key ingredients of the
reimbursable meal entrees are processed items compiled of either frozen or canned goods Essentially
the necessary equipment for reheating and assembling most of the meals is minimal As our discovery
ヮヴラIWゲゲ キミデラ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ヮヴラIヴWマWミt and vendor choices has not yet been completed these
impressions are based only on what we saw during the site visits
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
24 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Regardless of how little cooking is actually happening all meals are not created equal There is a great
degree of difference in food handling from site to site so even food that is not actually prepared from
ゲIヴデIエ エゲ ヴミェW ラa エWデエWヴ キデげゲ ェラキミェ デラ HW エミSノWS Wノノ ミS ノララニ ヮヮWノキミェ ラヴ ミラデく TエW SキaaWヴWミIWゲ can be largely attributed to skills or lack thereof among the nutrition services staff both from a basic
food handling and organizational standpoint and the managerial abilities at a particular site In addition
the supervisory team at the district level is not staffed in great enough numbers to routinely address
consistency and competence at every site in addition to managing the overall basic departmental
ミWIWゲゲキデキWゲく Vキゲキデゲ デラ ゲキデWゲ ヴW ヮヮヴWミデノ SヴキWミ マラヴW H さヮヴラHノWマゲ ラヴ HゲWミIWざ ヴデエWヴ デエミ IラミIWヴデWS effort to maintain quality efficiency and consistency from site to site
This overall system may have been structured based on the site management model but if that is true
the degradation of the overall skill set both at the hourly worker level and the site managerial level has
resulted in an uneven quality of service throughout the district In addition there is no budgeted
professional development for the nutrition services staff so with the exception of sanitation training
which happens every five years no system is in place to train maintain correct or improve performance
ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ゲデaaく
The introduction of Harvest Bars in 2008 at the elementary level has broadened the access to fresh
laSざ マ HW lacking In following strict offer vs serve guidelines the only limitation to choice is guidance
on portion size so students tend to choose more familiar foods and may avoid vegetable components
altogether Regardless of that fact the addition of the Harvest Bars is a key factor in improving meal
quality at the elementary level where most of the meals consumed are reimbursable meals
A la Carte food choices are everywhere in the district but again they vary from site to site Equity of
food offerings (a la carte versus reimbursable) vary widely depending on where one visits and what
grade level At the elementary level a la carte offerings could be as few as selling water juice or soy
milk to a full array equivalent to the middle school level choices (Eldorado 3rd grade and above) but
overall the offerings at the elementary level are more consistent in that the primary choice is the
reimbursable meal Again site based management comes into play with regard to a la carte sales at the
elementary level ミS キミ EノSラヴSラげゲ IゲW デエWヴW キゲ SWマミS aラヴ aノノ IIWゲゲ aラヴ WノWマWミデヴ エWヴW デ school like Bear Creek the choices are much more restricted What is actually more surprising is that a
la carte choices are offered at the elementary level at all beyond the typical sale of milk or juice to cold
lunch kids
At the middle and high school levels the students are inundated with the sight of countless choices In
addition to the reimbursable meal there are snacks entrees frozen treats cookies drinks and the
Hキケキデラゲ さJキIW AノキWがざ ミWラミ IラノラヴWS ゲノゲエキWが エキIエ キゲ SラHノキミェ ゲ IラマヮラミWミデ ラa デエW ヴWキマHヴゲHノW meal (a fruit) or as an a la carte item sold in a larger size The list of available lunch a la carte items that
site managers can stock tops 30 items ranging in sales price from 50 cents to $400 To comply with
Federal requirements of not separating snack or a la carte items from reimbursable meal distribution in
many sites they have had to adapt a service line that was not designed to be compatible キデエ さHノWミSWS Wミデヴくざ ldquoデaa ゲデキノノ ゲデヴェェノW キデエ デエW さaヴWWざ ニキSゲ ラミノ Iラマキミェ デラ デエW さラノS ゲキSWざく ldquoラマW ラa デエWゲW ゲWヴキIW ノキミW
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
25 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
adaptations have resulted in the reimbursable meal components being pre-plated and sitting for long
periods of time (unappetizing and potentially unsafe) sometimes not sitting on under or in the proper
heating element
Overwhelmingly at the middle and high school level the a la carte fare is dominant to the eye Only at
sites where the population of freereduced students is higher does the emphasis shift to the
reimbursable meal and the visual impact of a la carte lessens Our impression of the a la carte impact
on the district food service was that with so many choices often the choice or combination of choices
will be poor From a staffing standpoint some sites simply seemed overwhelmed with managing that
many choices The middle and high school sites resemble 7-Elevens more than school cafeterias except
the oversight of their control from inventory storage sales and ordering is much looser There appear
to be no checks in place to manage shrinkage Items like drinks end up in the walk-in because that is
Future study research into the cost and sales of a la carte and their attendant staffing needs across the
district will be needed to discover how shifts can be successfully achieved The culture of the district
population around having choice and access to these types of food will play greatly in the strategy the
district may want to employ in the future
Dining Rooms
It should be noted from the outset that overwhelmingly when asking nutrition services staff about the
Sキミキミェ ヴララマ デエWキヴ ミゲWヴ ゲ さW エW ミラデエキミェ デラ Sラ キデエ キデくざ TエW SキゲIラミミWIデ キミ デエW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮ ラa デエW service of the food to the consumption and atmosphere that food is intended for was definitive and
should be considered when discussing a future vision of nutrition services It should also be noted that
the introduction of Harvest Bars does engage the staff in dining room activity however the prevalence
of cashiers who are not working as directly with the food itself limits what could be a very positive link
between the staff and the students directly around consuming fresh foods
The good news is Boulder has some dining rooms even very bright and cheery ones with windows and
space The elementary schools in some cases are fairly challenged on seating space and across the
board when asking staff if they could feed more kids if more kids were purchasing meals the schedules
of the lunch periods come into question
Adult supervision and interaction in the dining rooms vary and this appears to be driven in part by the
site based management as far as how many or how often a lunch room may have an aide or whether
teachers assist their elementary age students through the line For the most part teachers are not
purchasing meals and in the case they do they usually eat in the teachers lounges There are a few
exceptions for example at Heatherwood teachers go through the line with the students and sit and eat
with them Potential dining room based education that reflects having adults present who are vested in
healthy food choices and positive social interaction in the dining room is possible We did observe aide-
student relationships in the dining room that I would describe as very positive (Pioneer Elementary) and
demonstrate an understanding of dining as a valuable positive aミS WSIデキラミノ ヮラキミデ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデゲげ day
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
26 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Maintenance of the dining rooms is assigned to the custodial staff and in most sites we visited
custodians were present and active during service handling compost programs at elementary schools
that have begun the Eco-Cycle Program and managing waste and recycling in middle and high school
dining rooms Few dining rooms have access to water and the sales of water appear brisk Only at
Centennial MS did we observe a water fountain designed for cups but they do ミラデ エW Iヮゲ ゲラ キデ SキSミげデ appear to be used
Some custodians appear to have a vested interest in the students during lunch (Manuel at Uni Hill is a
good example and custodians at Creekside and Fireside are other examples) and help them get what
they need as well as assist nutrition services in moving trays condiments and the like back to the
kitchen area Other schools appear to have less cooperative relationships with custodians
and this may result in dirtier floors and just overall less cooperation
WエWミ ケWゲデキラミキミェ エラ デHノWゲ ヴW IノWミWS ミS ゲミキデキWS デエW ミゲWヴ ゲ WキデエWヴ デエデ デエW SキSミげデ ニミラ ラヴ that they provided a container of sanitizer water and a rag There appears to be no cleaning system or
series of steps that custodians universally follow on surface cleaning in the dining rooms and this is a
concern and will be noted under sanitation This would also be a question when considering the floor
cleaning and cleaning of floor mats in the kitchens There were kitchens where it was clear the mats
were never picked up or washed And the variety of mat washing techniques varied so addressing
some uniform practice with regard facility cleaning is needed
SANITATION AND STANDARDS OF PRACTICE
This area with regard to the entire district is a primary area of concern Though most sites do have
IラヮキWゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ HACCP ふHヴS Aミノゲキゲ CヴキデキIノ Cラミデヴラノ Pラキミデゲぶ ミS ldquoデミSヴS OヮWヴデキミェ Procedures Manual as mandated under the National School Lunch Program since 2006 there is great
inconsistency in practice throughout the district
Basic food safety practices common in food service even before the implementation of HACCP
programs are spotty For example practices such as wearing hair restraints washing hands proper use
of gloves FIFO (first in first out) product date labeling and temperature logs were extremely
inconsistent and often non- existent Another widely accepted method that monitors food safety the
use of freezer and refrigeration temperature logs is rare in the district When asked most staff said they
looked at the thermometers (often there were not internal thermometers in place for more accurate
monitoring) but did not record temps At satellite sites there was less evidence of food safety practice
and by and large their refrigeration lacked internal thermometer devices All staff is required to go
through STAR training a sanitation training program offered through the Colorado Department of
Health and when asked most staff said they had attended training But what is lacking is a thorough
systemic practice and oversight district wide of implementing required food safety practices and
continued monitoring support and training
Food temperature logs though part of the records handled with regard to production of foods to be
transported and foods received are not regularly maintained at all sites The SOP handbook is
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
27 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
implemented The site managWヴゲげ WヮWヴキWミIW ミS ラヴェミキデキラミ ヴW ヮヴマラミデ デラ エWデエWヴ ゲキデW エゲ ゲデWS ヮヴIデキIWが ミS WWミ キミ エデ W ラノS SWゲIヴキHW ゲ さWノノ マミェWSざ ゲキデWゲが ミラミW ゲ Iデノノ Sラキミェ all the basic required practices
Notable as well with regard to sanitation is the role of linen in the department Common to food service
is the practice of wearing hair restraints aprons and the use of side towels as well as hot pads by the
stoves When asked if the district provided hair restraints the answer was no Aprons which we
observed on most employees throughout the district are also not provided And finally side towels
which were in most kitchens but often hanging to dry in on boiler room pipes or piled up on the dividers
of a sink had the most variety of responses Towels were sometimes ordered from the warehouse
sometimes acquired from custodial staff brought in or purchased by the employee sometimes sent to
the warehouse for washing sometimes provided by the production site and sent back there to wash
occaゲキラミノノ ゲエWS キミ デエW さHラマW EIざ ヴララマゲが Hデ デララ ラaデWミ デエW ヴWゲヮラミゲW デラ エラ Sラ ラヴ ゲキSW デラWノゲ ェWデ cleaned was that the workers were taking them home In some cases employees log in hours on their
time sheets for that service of taking the towels home to clean them but not always
Tエキゲ ノWSゲ ゲ デラ SヴWゲゲ IラSWく さPヴラaWゲゲキラミノ ヮヮWヴミIWが ミWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ デエW ノキミW ノキゲデWS ミSWヴ BVldquoD Food Service Sanitation Training Check List There was a variety of dress found throughout the sites
さNWデ ミS IノWミざ キゲ ミラデ specific enough to ensure a safe and sanitary working environment We saw
sleeveless shirts shorts CROCS (specifically listed as not acceptable) no aprons capri shorts and most
hair un-restrained despite the fact the HACCP manual lists the need for IノWミ ヮヴラミ ミS さBVldquoD ヮヮヴラWS エキヴ ヴWゲデヴキミデゲざく
This inconsistency is tied to the lack of oversight by the department but starting clearly with a lack of
thorough training From a sanitation and food handling perspective this is unacceptable Regular linen
service whether in-house or contracted is a standard in the food service industry A clean hat or a hair
net a clean apron and the provision for clean side towels and hot pads is the minimum one would want
to observe in a food service environment and in a situation where your average worker is not a
ヮヴラaWゲゲキラミノノ デヴキミWS aララS ゲWヴキIW ラヴニWヴが キデげゲ HWゲデ デラ ヮヴラキSW デエWゲW HゲキIゲ ミS ラヴニ デラ デヴキミ デエWマ デラ respect the need for closed toed shoes sleeves legs covered etc
This is a primary area of concern because if the district has any desire to handle freshly prepared and
cooked foods it must staff adequately and train and retrain adequately to maintain safe operating
procedures In this instance the lack of centralized management of food services and inadequate
training throughout the district would be tagged as the primary reason for this issue The supervisory
team is aware that their staff lacks training but it appears that department is between a rock and a hard
place as there is no budgeted staff or time to accomplish adequate training The fact that various
schools are passing Board of Health inspections means nothing as it was clear from talking to long time
managers that the Board of Health inspections are brief and perfunctory Colorado Board of Health is
aware that the district by Federal mandate must have a HACCP plan in place but their own inspections
and standards are not requiring HACCP for every food service establishment they license so they would
not be inspecting to that level of detail however the CRE reviews from the State should be looking
carefully at HACCP compliance
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
28 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Our basic response to this level of inadequacy with regard to food handling and sanitation practice is
that the district will have to take five steps back before they can take one step forward Implementing a
standardized plan and adequately training all staff that have contact with food should be at the top of
the list for BVSD This extends also to warehouse practice where we observed improper rotation no
case dating and out of date product throughout The fact that non-nutrition services staff are the first
response handlers of most of the food product in the district is a concern and further that product is
being moved from the warehouse into sites に often directly into the refrigeration units - by staff who are
not operating under nutrition services HACCP standards and do not answer to the Director of Nutrition
Services is an issue that must be addressed
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE
The Team
As the focus of this trip was the site audits our time spent in the district office was minimal but was
enough to follow the paper trail of recordkeeping and ordering back from the sites to those who are
either handling the orders managing the Point of Sale records or writing
menus and production records At the end of the first week of sites visits we met with
Leslie Stafford and the supervisory team Ms Stafford is district CFO and oversees the nutrition services
department under the new district reorganization Present at that meeting was Sue Anderson now
director Deb McCormick supervisor and Sara Acker who has recently moved into a supervisory role in
the department from her previous position as site manager at Monarch High School Sara will prove to
be a valuable member of the team as she represents real on the ground experience in the commercial
food industry outside of schools as well as proving to be a solid manager and trainer within BVSD Her
ability to troubleshoot assess and train throughout the district will be a real asset
It should be noted that as far as leadership of nutrition services at the time the study team was engaged
the district did not have a nutrition services director The prior director departed in April
and Sue Anderson nutrition services supervisor was playing double duty managing her supervisor
duties as well as working as acting director The first week of our visit Sue Anderson was selected as the
new nutritioミ ゲWヴキIWゲ SキヴWIデラヴく TエW エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW SWヮヴデマWミデげゲ ノWSWヴゲエキヮ キゲ ヴWノWミデ ゲ ラWヴ デエW ヮゲデ five years the department has had the retirement of a long time director in 2003 a very
short term replacement 7 months then a return appearance by followed by the hiring of
in 2005 until this past spring Sue Anderson worked under all of those directors so her ability
to understand the prior status of the department and the various changes it has made in the last few
years is very valuable and will serve the district well as it considers future growth
One notable point when studying the department is the fact the district food service is managed with so
few staff The intended supervisory team is the director plus three supervisors but there has been only
a director and two supervisors prior And the only year round position is the director With our study of
the sites and our feeling that there is not enough oversight to keep a system running efficiently or
effectively coming to the office and experiencing the number of tasks this small group is charged with
drives home our first point に the management structure as it exists now which is heavily weighed for
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
29 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
site based management is not effective with the present style and content of food service and certainly
would not be effective if the district wishes to transform itself into a more health focused and whole
foods focused program
Technology and Recordkeeping
From what we saw it looks like began to update the paper based system that the department
had been running for a long time Within the last two years Point of Sale (POS) has been instituted
throughout the district and within the past year several modules of food service software made by
Horizons called VBOSS has begun to be implemented We will be auditing these systems more fully on
our next trip but first impressions from the interviews we did with and as well
as speaking to all the managers in the field about the systems in place at their sites is the department is
tied to both old and new and there are some real obstacles to fully realize efficiency in these system
changes primarily because of the disconnect between management and systems of the warehouse and
nutrition services
The number of software systems or technology related pieces used include Nutrikids for recipes and
nutritional analysis only (though BVSD is a not nutrient based district and the program can also do
freereduced appsPOS production records menus and more) MCS for free and reduced application
processing which works with Data Business Systems QSP which is local company that is the vendor for
the POS as well as operating a Pay For it option These programs interface with Infinite Campus which
is the student information database
TエW ミWWヴ ゲラaデヴWが Hラヴキラミげゲ VBOldquoldquo キゲ ミラ HWキミェ キマヮノWマWミデWS aラヴ ヮノIキミェ ミS デヴIニキミェ ラヴSWヴゲ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミ ゲキデWゲが IヴWデキミェ ヮヴラSIデキラミ ヴWIラヴSゲが ミS デニキミェ キミWミデラヴが Hデ デエW ヮヴラェヴマげゲ IヮHキノキデキWゲ Iミげデ HW aノノ デニen advantage of because the warehouse system both from a management and
technology side (Lawson) is usurping the food service department as far as control of inventory
ラヴSWヴキミェ ミS ヴWIWキキミェく Hラヴキラミげゲ K-12 offerings do include freereduced application processing POS
menus production records warehouse inventory and purchasing but at this point we do not know
which modules BVSD owns We will meet with technology in July to better understand the history and
future plans with regard to the existing systems
There are still a number of paper based records managed within nutrition services namely menu
production records food transport temperature records and sales reports sent from satellites to
production sites Overwhelmingly we heard from production site managers that they took work home
or that they stayed late to complete all the paperwork required There were also a number of managers
who were not fully aware of all of their paperwork responsibilities Another area we need to explore is
the role of the cashier It appears that the district is not really taking advantage of the potential for a
cashless system Though there are some elementary schools that appear to have totally removed
handling cash in the dining room for the most part it was approximated that at least 50 of sales at the
middle and high school level involve cash
What this represents when looking at the whole system is simply more opportunity for loss much more
time consuming tracking and records and the loss of potential labor hours to the food side because the
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
30 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
district is hiring people whose only job is to sit at the cash register This is particularly a disadvantage at
the satellite sites where the labor hours are much more limited Some sites have teams that are fully
cross trained but that is not the accepted norm
Ordering
As a subset of technology and recordkeeping the procurement piece in the department will be
researched more fully on our next trip but in the few hours I spent with and in the
questioning of managerial staff throughout the district the procurement system is not efficient as it
IヴヴWミデノ Wキゲデゲく Fラヴ ゲデヴデWヴゲが ヴキWデ ヮニ ラa エデゲ デエデ ゲエW Wヴゲ キゲ デララ HヴラS エWミ W consider that her handling of ordering and processing of invoices alone is enough for a full time position
TエW IラマヮノWキデ ラa デエキゲ キゲ WヮミSWS エWミ キWキミェ デエW ラWヴノ ラa ゲゲデWマゲ ゲエWげゲ ラヴニキミェ キデエ HWデWWミ vendor orders warehouse orders and orders from sites either via VBOSS Lawson or on paper To
complicate matters the fact that the previous director handled all the commodity entitlement orders
and did not cross train any member of the office on the process leads to a current supervisory team that
is not well ba lanced from the stand point of being able to step in and cover this very important task of
ordering and procurement
Menu and Wellness Policy
Menus recipes and production records are handled by and at the point of our first visit
the menu for the following school year was incomplete She had AugSeptember done This is very
unusual in a school district Particularly when one considers that the commodity entitlement orders for
is going to fit within your menus In addition the weekly set of production records that maintains is
very complex and appears to take more time than it should It is unclear how implementation of VBOSS
will shift the efficiencies in this area but when considering the roles of the various supervisors the
importance of efficiency in the basic system is vital as they are also expected to be monitoring quality at
the sites Obviously that is not happening to the extent it needs to
The menu choices as far as the prepared foods used and sold appears to be following the USDA
guidelines but not moving beyond that The current selections are apparently a few steps up from the
past but the ramen soups which are an a la carte mainstay at all grade levels which are known by their
ミキIニ ミマW ラa さldquoラSキマ ldquoラヮゲがざ キゲ Wミラェエ デラ マニW ゲ ケWゲデキラミ エデ デエW IラママキデマWミデ キミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ デラ redirect energy to helping kids make healthy choices Breakfast offerings such as 4 mini pancakes in a
cellophane wrapper that is heated in a warmer and served with maple flavored high fructose corn syrup
The Board Policy on Food Choices offers a viable vision of school health and wellness but the practice
we observed in the district is not meeting the challenge as yet The Healthy Food Guidelines offer a
starting point for change in the district but without real implementation follow up and annual review
processes engaging a broad spectrum of the district these guidelines just remain as a document
fulfilling federal requirements
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
31 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
STUDY NEXT STEPS
In our next visit to the district in July we will focus more heavily on the technology systems
procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor contracts
personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work best to
bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
32 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Progress Report Two
BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study
July 2008
Consultants on site
Ann Cooper - Beth Collins - Coleen Donnelly
Contents
INTRODUCTION 33
TECHNOLOGY 33
WAREHOUSE 34
BUDGET ANALYSIS 37
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE 39
DISTRICT CULTURE 42
NEXT STEPS 43
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
33 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
INTRODUCTION As stated in our previous progress report the intent of the July visit was to focus on the technology
systems procurement and warehousing system including commodity entitlement and vendor
contracts personnel and budget and further assessment of potential system changes that would work
best to bring BVSD to a whole foods and local procurement system
Prior to our visit we requested various documents and reports that would help prepare us for meetings
with BVSD personnel as well as a few key vendors to the district As expected summer got in the way
and many staff were either on vacation or not scheduled to work in the district in the interim Though
we did obtain some documents for example the budget history dating back to 2003 it actually took
meeting with people to explain and restate what kind of records we needed before we received them
In the end the face to face meetings were extremely useful in making more transparent the current
state of the Nutrition Services Department (NSD) in Boulder as well as understanding how NSD works
with and relates to from their perspective the Technology Division Procurement and Materials
MミェWマWミデが ヴキラゲ aIWデゲ ラa デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ AIIラミデキミェ DWヮヴデマWミデが as well as a few of their vendors
TECHNOLOGY Kevin Cubillas - Director Enterprise Technology Information Technology Division Rodney Eslinger - Account Executive Horizon Software International Kevin Cubillas was our first meeting during this trip We posed to him the various questions we had
concerning the history of software choices for NSD what drove those choices cost and maintenance to
support them and what the possibilities were to rethink existing plans to reflect a more efficient system
geared toward the NSD having better accountability of their day to day data に purchasing sales and
inventory
Key to this discussion was understanding from the IT side how VBOSS (the back office software that NSD
purchased in December 07 to manage ordering inventory menus and production records)fit into the
picture We knew its implementation had just begun in early 2008 but we had concerns about the
efficiency of running food service specific software as well as a warehouse management module of the
GL software Lawson when no single person in the NSD actually understood or knew both systems
completely and when it appeared that their functionality overlaps significantly We also wanted to
understand the history behind the choice of Data Business Systems QSP Point of Sale (POS に the
software that runs the cashieringsales in the district and generates the sales reporting) software and
what challenges or advantages IT saw in that as opposed to the concept of purchasing the POS module
of VBOSS and running an integrated reporting system that links menu procurement and sales with the
perpetual inventory
Kevin explained that at the time VBOSS was purchased the idea of replacing QSP with a POS module in
VBOldquoldquo ゲミげデ aキミミIキノ ヮラゲゲキHキノキデ に however it does not appear that a cost benefit analysis was
performed to determine this or that linking sales data to the purchase and inventory systems was
viewed as a priority
The other key piece of information we wanted to understand from IT was the relationship or potential
relationship between VBOSS and Lawson with regard to purchasing and inventory management As
stated in our previous report the disconnect between warehouse systems in the district and NSD is
IヴキデキIノ ミS デエW aIデ デエデ NldquoD SラWゲ ミラデ エW さIラミデヴラノざ over their own warehouse inventory needed to be
explored further The other key point was that NSD had implemented VBOSS with the intention of
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
34 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
tracking orders and inventory on the sites and also to help consolidate orders for the warehouse but it
was not using it to track inventory at the warehouse which is the heart of the functionality of inventory
management in the software design That role and the eventual reporting to accounting falls to use of
Lawson
Because there is a significant difference between the functionality of back office software designed
specifically for food service operations and software designed for warehouse management and general
ledger interface we wanted to find out if the point where IT could bridge the two entities could be
considered differently The plan that had been explained to us was to link Lawson to VBOSS in a way
デエデ VBOldquoldquo IラノS さゲWWざ デエW ヮWヴヮWデノ キミWミデラヴ キミ Lゲラミく HラWWヴ デエデ ニキミS ラa ノキミニェW ラノS ゲデキノノ never accomplish the accountability of inventory anS Iデノ ゲヮWミSキミェ ヮラゲゲキHノW キa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヮヴIエゲキミェが receiving posting and perpetual inventory was maintained in one place and then reported back to the
general ledger in Lawson
We proposed that if VBOSS fully managed purchase order creation receiving and posting of invoices and
maintaining the perpetual inventory then the final posting of approved purchases could be exported or
linked to Lawson Kevin thought that was both possible and potentially easier than the existing plan
To fully understand the functionality of VBOSS we had a meeting with the regional Horizons Software
representative Rodney Eslinger who spent 3 hours thoroughly walking us through the functions of the
VBOSS modules that the district owns as well as becoming familiar with the modules it does not own
As all of us have utilized various food service specific software for many years we appreciate the detail in
functionality this company has brought to their product Were the district able to fully utilize the
product they own the ability for NSD to be fully accountable for management of their financial picture
would greatly enhance labor efficiency and create the potential for the department to truly get a handle
on their menu planning production procurement and subsequent inventory control all of which will be
required for the district to consider program change The bottom line is that current accountability is
poor in the existing system as the NSD cannot view all aspects of their system from a central point
which is what VBOSS is designed to do
The NSD currently only has one person trained as a trainer on the program and with her other duties
with regard to processing the free and reduced program in the district more expertise on the software
by the supervisors and director is essential to expedite implementation of the software and gain the
savings it could provide This would enhance capturing the benefit of the $100000 initial cost on the
package as well as the annual $10000 maintenance costs
WAREHOUSE and MATERIALS MANAGEMENT Joel Johnson - Inventory Control Materials Management Rebecca Zidan - Procurement Manager Sharon Meyer - Director of Procurement and Materials Management Our warehouse meeting was with Joel Johnson Inventory Control for Materials Management Matt
Stewart Warehouse Manager was on vacation or we would have also met with him also Following our
meeting with IT discussions with Joel were very informative and carefully illustrated how an order from
NSD leaves that office and flows intラ JラWノげゲ ラaaキIWが デエWミ デラ PヴラIヴWマWミデが HIニ デラ JラWノが デエWミ RWIWキキミェが stocking and later back to NSD for site orders back to Joel to input those POs then to Transportation for
filling the pick ticket and moving product to sites In the end we figured that starting with the site
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
35 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
managers an order requiring delivery from the warehouse might be touched six to seven times between
writing paper orders entering computer orders consolidating those then writing a paper order for the
warehouse then input into Lawson more than once because NSD will produce both a warehouse
inventory stock order as well as the site orders
On our previous visit the NSD described the warehouse as challenging to work with and that the
warehouse was telling them what they could ミS IラノSミげデ ラヴSWヴ HゲWS ラミ ゲヮIWが Hデ aヴラマ デエW warehouse perspective the picture looks different It appears that perpetual inventory data viewed by
NSD in Lawson is not clearly understood and translated into what is actually needed to be stocked on
hand The inventory is the responsibility of the NSD and clearly the potential for a more efficient system
exists given adequate skill sets to run it
MWミゲ ミS マWノ Iラミデゲ Sラ ミラデ ヮヮWヴ デラ HW Sヴキキミェ デエW ヮヴIエゲキミェ ミS ノゲラ エWミげデ HWWミ Sヴキキミェ commodity entitlement orders for some time and when that happens the difficulty of maintaining
reasonable stock levels in the warehouse do become a challenge for those handling the inventory This
was evident in the number of overstocked items we observed Many of these items are not regularly
used in the menu and some are not even listed
After this meeting we did meet with the director to alert her to the problem and recommended
immediate action with regard to prioritizing moving current inventory ASAP by rewriting the menu
(which at the point we visited had only five complete weeks and had not been released to the public)
and putting a hold on any existing POs that were in conflict with running down inventory に for example
purchasing applesauce when adequate supplies of cut apples applesauce and pears are in inventory
AIIラヴSキミェ デラ JラWノが NldquoD ヮWヴゲラミミWノ Sラ ミラデ さノニ デエW ヴWエラゲWざ ヴWェノヴノく WエWミ JラWノ デラヴWS ゲ デエヴラェエ the warehouse which as we noted in our last report did contain items of questionable shelf life he
explained that the warehouse ID numbers for commodity items had been blended with the regular
commercial stock IDs for similar products (per the instruction of the previous director) His explanation
was that NSD thought it was unnecessary to maintain them separately as many of the items they also
purchased and perhaps it would be easier to maintain FIFO (first in first out) inventory if they were
stocked as one ID We believe that a subsequent interview with the warehouse manager who worked
directly with the former director will reveal exactly what the reasoning was but our concern is that
blending stock numbers makes it impossible to run a year end commodities stock report reflecting both
the Fair Market Value of that item plus the delivery fee which is usually a requirement of most state
agencies operating the NSLP Commodity Entitlement program
Our immediate recommendation prior to receiving any 09 commodity product would be to reverse that
practice and if possible with the use of historical records to reference any certain historical commodity
stock with specific commodity codes so detailed reporting can be easily achieved Efficient utilization of
Commodity Entitlement funds is both a key point in controlling overall meal cost and an opportunity to
utilize those savings on better quality product to improve the meal program
To the end of helping the NSD to identify the warehouse stock and initiate action and responsibility of
NSD over their inventory に whether or not they actually personally handle the stock themselves に we
asked Joel to run a stock inventory report on Lawson which can immediately help the NSD identify
critical inventory use needs In addition we suggested that creating a system of recording inventory age
and tracking it will prevent overstocks provided that NSD shifts its procurement practice to actual need
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
36 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Since school has not begun aggressively addressing this area is an opportunity for savings in 08-09 food
costs We understand that the current director is not responsible for the current state of the
warehouse but what is important for the new director to understand is that it is the NSD responsibility
to work with the warehouse and keep the inventory levels at manageable levels that are in sync with
WaaキIキWミデ マミェWマWミデ ラa デエW ゲデラヴェW ヴWゲ aヴラマ デエW ヴWエラゲW ゲデaaげゲ ヮWヴゲヮWIデキWき マWミキミェ デエW Hキノキデ to rotate stock easily with fork lifts maintaining FIFO having adequate storage areas for Commodity
deliveries etc We found it fairly challenging to find receiving dates on the various lots in the
warehouse particularly once a pallet had begun to be used From a warehouse maintenance
perspective those dates are critical for those managing the movement of the stock in the warehouse
and that identification is important and should be improved
On our next visit we will revisit the outcomes of this discussion and meet with the warehouse manager
to further discuss potential efficiencies in shifting the ordering and warehouse management records to
VBOSS and learn more about the warehouse management history We did discuss this possibility to
Joel who is the primary person who touches the software interface from the warehouse side and he
admitted the redundancy of the current system can be frustrating and that he spends a considerable
number of hours every week dealing entering information that was entered in VBOSS then moved to
paper and then reentered in Lawson In addition because of both the disconnect of the two systems
and the lack of management oversight by NSD site managers are consiゲデWミデノ ヴWケWゲデキミェ さWマWヴェWミI ラヴSWヴゲざ ノゲラ ニミラミ ゲ さノニ-デエヴラェエゲざ デエデ ヴWケキヴW ミ SSキデキラミノ ヮヮWヴ ヴWIラヴS ゲ Wノノ ミラデエWヴ IラマヮデWヴ Wミデヴく WWヴW NldquoD デラ ゲキマヮノ ヴWaゲW さWマWヴェWミIキWゲざが デエW Iラゲデ ゲキミェゲ デラ Hラデエ SWヮヴデマWミデゲ キミ labor efficiency could be significant The walk-through issue was also mentioned by Sharon Meyer as a
point of inefficiency
Another key area of potential savings to both departments would be to examine deliveries of products
throughout the district Currently the Warehouse runs three trucks with six people and NSD also visits
デエラゲW ゲキデWゲ キデエ ミラデエWヴ ゲWデ ラa ミゲ ミS SヴキWヴゲ キミ SSキデキラミ デラ デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWaヴキェWヴデWS デヴIニ ミS SヴキWヴ who is handling produce and bread deliveries In our subsequent meeting with Becky Zidan and Sharon
Meyer we discussed the history of the produce and bread deliveries in the district and they confirmed
that the warehouse has delivered the bread products on their trucks in the past and could in the future
As well in prior years the produce contract has gone to vendors that deliver directly to sites At the
time of our meeting with them the produce bid for 08-09 was not complete and we discussed the
potential of writing it to explore direct site delivery of produce and eliminate the fuel and maintenance
costs of the district owned truck Another consideration is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Points) procedure in the warehouse All the warehouse deliveries of food are made in unrefrigerated
trucks Joel stated that the routes can take 4-6 hours to complete and there is not a temperature log
procedure which would identify if refrigerated products may be spending too much time out of proper
storage temperature and potentially reaching unsafe temperatures Exploring use of the refrigerated
truck and reviewing delivery routes has potential for both safety and savings When we return in
September we will pose these questions to the warehouse manager to learn more and will consider
efficiency in transportation costs a key area when proposing future organizational structures for the
department
Another question posed to Becky and Sharon was district policy with regards to bids and procurement
and Sharon outlined the guidelines We discussed the potential of district policy reflecting different
protocol for perishable products as opposed to the purchases of shelf stable foods supplies or paper
products and Sharon said that would be possible to explore From the standpoint of creating a new
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
37 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
vision of the NSD that prioritizes whole foods and healthy choices as well as from the perspective of
finding vendors that will provide both quality and service bidding on produce is antithetical to the
business Produce companies operate on very slim margins and are at the mercy of the market trends in
a way thaデ SラWゲ ミラデ aaWIデ ゲエWノa ゲデHノW ヮヴラSIデゲ ゲ ケキIニノく BWIニ ゲキS デエデ デエWげS エS ヮヴラHノWマ getting produce vendors to bid on the district and that is not surprising since locking in bid prices on
produce puts the distributor at a great disadvantage as well as not reflecting a smart seasonal
purchasing strategy by the district Sharon and Becky stated that they have relied on the expertise of
the NS director in the past when guiding decision making on bids and that the decision for the NSD to
buy its own truck to handle self delivery of bread and produce last year had been made without
thorough input of Materials Management and that they also questioned the need and cost efficiency of
that choice
BUDGET ANALYSIS GL ANALYSIS LABOR HOURS AND REPORTING Leslie Stafford ʹ Chief Financial Officer Chuck McElwainʹ Accounting Services Director Mike Pederson ʹ Payroll Specialist Karen Samuels ʹDistrict Accountant To gain a greater understanding of the history of the NSD we requested budget histories dating back to
2003 prior to our visit to the district Karen Samuels District Accountant who has been helping the NSD
analyze their financial performance through creating trend reports and site P and Ls in the past year was
instrumental in guiding us through the SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴ ラa デエW NldquoD HSェWデ ゲ Wノノ ゲ HWキミェ デエW ヮヴキマヴ contact to obtain 07-08 sales records from the vendors
Of particular interest to us were the assumptions used to create the annual budget and what criteria the
district was using to trend projected revenues and expenses for each year What we discovered by and
large is that the NSD budgets have not been based on actual head counts and federal reimbursement
rates but have reflected prior years with some percentage increases added
Similarly food cost expenses have not been based on the actual relationship to meal counts but have
reflected purchase history In looking forward to a program where perishable food plays a larger part
and where the efficiency of handling and production figureゲ ゲキェミキaキIミデノ ラミ デエW Hラデデラマ ノキミWが W aWWノ キデげゲ essential to configure the budget to be as aligned with actual costs as possible so the district can set
realistic goals based on their vision for the NSD as a daily participant in the lives of students in the
district
In general with a basic perusal of the budget it is clear that the reimbursable meals are the bread and
HデデWヴ ラa デエW NldquoDげゲ ヴWWミW ゲデヴWマく Iマヮラヴデミデ デラ デエW SキゲIゲゲキラミ ラa エラ デエW HSェWデ ゲゲマヮデキラミゲ ヴW written is to begin to isolate the net value of a la carte sales as opposed to the reimbursable meal
Gross sales figures tend to predominate when a la carte is discussed and that approach gives an
inaccurate picture of a la carte when factoring in labor and food cost
TエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ エキゲデラヴキIl view of a la IヴデW ゲノWゲ キゲ デラ ヴWノデW ガヲくヵヰ ノW ゲ さマWノ WケキノWミデくざ Oヴ キミキデキノ response to that formula is that it does not reflect typical sales as stated in the previous report We
have been in contact with the owner of QSP and he is going to write a program into QSP that will allow
accounting to run a report showing the average transaction amount in the schools This should help us
analyze the relationship between the amount of labor attributed to a la carte as opposed to
reimbursable meals
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
38 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
Fラヴ Iノヴキデ W ノゲラ ミデ デラ キゲラノデW デエW Iヴヴ ラデ ゲキデWゲげ ヮWヴaラヴマミIW ゲWヮヴデWノ aヴラマ デエW ヮヴラSIデキラミゲ sites Currently in the P and Ls that Karen Samuels has created for the NSD the production sites and
their carry outs are lumped together as one cost center so isolating the relationships of labor to actual
マWノ ヮヴラSIデキラミ キゲ ミラデ SWaキミWS デ ノノ aラヴ デエW Iヴヴ ラデゲが デエデ デエラェエ デエW Sラミげデ ノゲ エW ヴララマ デラ stock all the food they serve very often have to handle finish and heat much of the meal For example
in some carry out sites they both stock and prep their Harvest Bars
Karen also provided us data via general ledger summaries of vendor payouts which we will use in
combination with actual reporting from vendors to isolate the food cost attributable to reimbursable
meals versus a la carte
Relative to this discussion and labor resources is to look at the meals per labor hour formula the district
is using As with revenue analysis the meals per labor hour (MPLH) formula both lumps production sites
with carry outs as well as utilizes the $250 meal equivalent across the board elementary MS and HS
As we examine this data and gain access to average transaction data from QSP we will most likely
propose a more realistic formula to assess performance There is no universally accepted MPLH
formula but in general higher MPLH are expected in schools where more use of heat and serve is found
Use of MPLH data is not always conclusive but it is a guide to evaluating performance of various schools
and teams of workers and is useful data if the formula really makes sense for the style of service
provided in a district Another important point is that MPLH calculations should be inclusive of a
percentage of all the support labor of the department including administrative transport and
managerial and this currently is not the case in the district
Because of the timing of this visit analysis of 08-09 labor distribution could not be completed but Karen
Samuels has prepared a spreadsheet that once the 08-09 FTEs and schedules are inserted will give the
NSD a clearer view of how labor is distributed throughout the department に in sites the office
warehouse and other FTE attributable to NSD Mike Pederson did provide us with total billouts of labor
attributable to NSD for 07-08 and we are evaluating that data against the practice we observed in the
district in May
An area that came up as a particular problem both in May and restated for the coming year is the
challenge of filling absences in the NSD The supervisors are often filling-in in substitute roles because
maintaining a reliable sub list has been a challenge for the department When examining the labor
hours in subs from the data obtained for 07-08 it appears that the NSD has relied heavily on bus drivers
to fill sub roles and the differential of cost to use drivers as opposed to NSD designated subs is higher In
addition we consistently heard complaints from NSD employees about the difference in pay and the
reliance on the bus drivers has led to employee dissatisfaction
We will examine this further but in general it appears that hiring several permanent subs in the NSD
would both create savings and efficiencies Another area we want to explore more is the efficiency of
having two job categories for cashier and cook helper に both listed at the same rate of pay We have
been told that staffing the 2 hour cashier slots is challenging but there are sites where the cashier is
ノゲラ Iララニげゲ エWノヮWヴ ゲラ IヴWデキミェ マラヴW ラヮヮラヴデミキデキWゲ aラヴ デエラゲW ヴラノWゲ ゲ ゲエヴWS SデキWゲ IラノS ノノWキデW ゲラマW of the HR pressures the NSD faces on a daily basis when considering staffing for 46 sites
With regards to reporting and how sales data is communicated back to the general ledger and also the
amount of cash handled in the district we met with Chuck McElwain who described how the records
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
39 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
from QSP are exported into Lawson This interface appears to work fairly well The other area we
wanted to explore was the amount of cash handled throughout the district as that is a key area of labor
and potential loss that could be avoided if the district emphasized use of the their debit system as a
requirement rather than a choice The use of cash becomes preeminent at Middle School and High
School sites where the mini mart mentality is strong and where kids may not want their parents to know
エデ デエWげW HWWミ Hキミェく WエWミ W ヴWデヴミ キミ September we will explore further the percentage of
cash sales line speed and multiple transactions by the same students when observing meal periods at
the MS and HS and explore how that might change if a greater buy-in to reimbursable meals could be
instituted particularly at the MS level We will also meet with Data Business Systems to understand the
breadth of reporting possible from their sales system to explore if there is further information not
generated presently that could assist NSD in managing day to day
NUTRITION SERVICES OFFICE POS VBOSS UPDATES MENU PRODUCTION COMMODITIES AND VENDORS Sue Anderson ʹ Director Deborah McCormick ʹ Supervisor Sara Acker - Supervisor Ruth Campisi ʹ Technician David Pytlinski - Bid Accounts Andrews Foodservice Systems The timing of this visit brought us back in the NSD office at a point in the summer where staff that were
off since June were coming back or poised to return so from that perspective it was not the best
possible time We had several follow ヮ ゲHテWIデゲ キデエ ヴWェヴS デラ デエW ヮノミゲ WげS エWヴS キミ M ラa changing the QSP POS screen to reflect more detail of a la carte sales items allowing for more detail by
parents wishing to track what their kids are eating as well as greater accountability for inventory
management The screen shots we viewed do allow for more detail but in general given the many
items that can be purchased it would be impossible to accurately track sales of every item in inventory
at every site unless a PLU scanning device was implemented for the a la carte foods We are in the
process of obtaining all the a la carte vendor sales data from 07-08 for analysis of what items are most
popular and how sales vary from site to site but the primary issue in the current system is the inventory
control at the sites Many items have high per unit costs (20 ounce Gatorade at 73 cents) but many sites
do not have adequate secure storage and the accountability link that could be created between an
electronic sales record debiting perpetual inventory is not able to be utilized in the current system
Again this brings up the net value of an a la carte program and justifies inquiry as to its value and
purpose in the landscape of offering students nourishing options versus junk in their schools on a daily
basis
We also had the opportunity to meet with NSD director Sue Anderson and David Pytlinski from Andrews
Food Service with regard to Andrews interface on the commodities Andrews has the state contract for
delivery of commodities in Colorado as well as their commercial division having the bid of the Northern
CラノラヴSラ Cララヮ aラヴ デエW IラママWヴIキノ キデWマゲ デエW SキゲデヴキIデ ゲWゲく DキSげゲ キゲキデ ゲ ヮヴキマヴキノ デラ Hヴキミェ ldquoW ヮ デラ speed on the state of their commodity deliveries and costs associated with how the processed and
brown box items are delivered
Sue Anderson was never directly involved with commodity entitlement allocation diverting entitlement
dollars to value added processing and delivery fees It is apparent through conversations with Vicky
Huff who handles ordering for NSD as well as a myriad of other duties that though Vicky handles some
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
40 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
commodities related paperwork her knowledge base is also fairly narrow We have viewed the
Colorado web site that deals with food distribution and we will need to contact the State to access more
ヮヴWIキゲW エキゲデラヴキIノ Sデ ラミ デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ ゲW ラa IラママラSキデ WミデキデノWマWミデ ノW ゲ Wノノ ゲ デエW Iデノ Sラノノヴ value in past years This is not clear from the files that Sue has access to left by previous directors
We know from looking at the GL reports that the district spent approximately $165000 on processing by
diverting commodity entitlement dollars but we need to research further to isolate the net value of that
decision (Note Diverting commodity entitlement to value adding means for example that a district
pays to have bulk chicken processed into chicken patties)
As a result of many of our meetings and tours through the warehouse we suggested to Sue that instead
of spending time every month writing a new menu that the district take the opportunity to reutilize the
menus of the previous year and tweak them as they relate to procurement and vendor items they have
made decisions about already but not accounted for directly in terms of volume needs for the annum
For example though we know that in 07-08 commodity cheese was diverted to Brunos Pizza as a result
of a bid at the point we visited no one really knew how many pizzas had been sold how much cheese
was used per pizza and how much IラママラSキデ IエWWゲW ゲ ゲデキノノ キミ Bヴミラげゲ エミSゲ aヴラマ ノゲデ Wヴく Iミ デヴミが 08-09 commodity cheese had also been diverted to Brunos (probably planned as far back as December
07) but the assumption of sales and whether that product would affect both the a la carte and
reimbursable meal menus had not been decided
ldquoキマキノヴ SキWヴゲキラミゲ ラa IラママラSキデ ェララSゲ ヴW ゲWデ ヮ キデエ Pエキノげゲ FヴWゲエ FララSゲく TエWゲW Iミ HW WデヴWマWノ beneficial relationships for the district but accountability of the transaction and planning in menu as
well as how that affects the overall food cost for meals should all be clearly laid out by the director and
their team well in advance of moving forward on these relationships In addition the current director is
working with several new team members in the office training people on duties she used to do as a
supervisor etc so being conscious of what is realistic to accomplish this year is key If using work
product (menus) from the previous year is going to give the NSD some much needed time then it should
be a consideration
It was obvious from this visit that reviewing purchase histories inventories food cost and even what
menu type is being implemented in the district has not been evaluated from the perspective of the
さエラノW ゲゲデWマざ Hデ ヴデエWヴ ノララニキミェ デ WIエ ヴW ノラミWが エキIエ キゲ エラ W ノラゲW Wfficiency both in vision and
practice Any steps the department can take to begin to utilize a whole system approach will be useful
now and in the future
We met with Ruth Campisi again to see how the VBOSS next steps were working out She was working
with the local Horizons technician to further implement the use of VBOSS generated menus and
production records and she had been inputting recipes into VBOSS all summer in preparation for this roll
out We learned from Sue that the district is trialing this process in only a few sites which surprised us
as the site managers have been using parts of VBOSS for many months and it was our understanding in
May that VBOSS as a menu and production record tool would be used starting this year
Given what we learned about the ease of use of the VBOSS interface and knowing that Deb McCormick
spends a lot of her time inputting menus and purchasing specs into excel spreadsheets we suggested to
Sue that NSD might be able to roll the use of VBOSS generated menus and production logs out more
quickly if Deb McCormick was redirected toward recipe and menu input in VBOSS and abandoning the
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
41 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
time consuming spreadsheets If the district reutilized 07-08 menu work during this transition time
there would be adequate time to redirect Deb on this new project Sue is concerned about weaning the
site managers off of the paper based system but with the limited supervisory team that the NSD has
As we continue to gain access to vendor records we will apply that information into analysis of the
current budget structure as well as consider inventory control as a key area with regard to the a la carte
program In addition this visit has brought up the question of the costs and intent of which menu type
the district is running The menus last year were based on enhanced food based the menus this year
are based on traditional food based but the menus are also being analyzed within the nutrient based
menu framework apparently so those menus can be posted on the website Menu production relative
to meeting the nutrient analysis formula required by the Feds can lead to the addition of sugar based
calories in the menu to meet the specs (which does appear to be the case in Boulder) but these empty
calories can cost the district unnecessary funds as well as not promote a nourishing image of the meal
program so more analysis will be tied to that question
Our suggestion with regard to the nutrient analysis information as a popular feature for the parents is
to list the nutrient analysis and ingredient labels for each item in the reimbursable menus as well as the
a la carte menu に item by item By shifting emphasis on their web information away from the whole
menu which is not required in a Food Based Menu the district will be providing information about the
products they serve in the meal but not tie themselves to the weighted averages which can lead to the
addition of products which in the end are really not menu enhancing
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
42 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
DISTRICT CULTURE CAFEacute AS A CLASSROOM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CUSTODIALNSD INTERFACE Dr Judy Skupa- Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services Steve Hoban- Director of Operations Security and Environmental Services Joe Sleeper - Assistant Superintendant of Operations
Oミ デエキゲ キゲキデ W ノゲラ ミデWS デラ IラミデキミW デラ WヮノラヴW デエW SキゲデヴキIデげゲ IノキマデW aラヴ IエミェW ミS ゲ ヮヴデ ラa デエデ discovery we were directed toward Dr Judy Skupa Assistant Superintendent of Learning Services
Valuing meal periods as important to the instructional day is not typical in many districts but the ability
to see the result of valuing that interface as critical to student development is often the entry point for
wholesale change in meal program redesign
Challenges to change can vary by district as different priorities in school culture management structure
and educational goals are set Judy informed us that Boulder has historically been highly academically
oriented and like many services programs lunch can be viewed as a hurdle to leap each day not a help
to charging the students with the energy to learn That said she said principals could be brought to the
table in a positive way if they are given a voice in change and that in this process of reevaluating
priorities around food health nutrition education and all-round student wellness the potential for a
dynamic culture shift does exist
In exploring how site based management affects the NSD throughout the district challenges to district
wide system change versus site specific customization is that at core food service operations run more
efficiently when utilizing uniformity in training style of service and menu The uniformity drives cost
savings quality of service and meals and food safety In a program shift the district would want to
capitalize on that uniform change Where individual school culture plays a part is the one on one
interaction that can lead to valued relationships between NSD staff and students when more than a
money changing exercise is brought to the lunchroom Administrators play an important role in
bringing their school teams (faculty staff students parents) to the forefront to support these potential
shifts in the system
Also noted in our discussion historically whether a school or district values meal periods or not at the
elementary level the social interaction at those younger age levels is critical to their social and cognitive
development and enriching that meal period may be more easily valued as important to improve at the
elementary level
When looking at program change at the secondary level the whys behind it continue to make sense
because what is established in the elementary level can grow as the students grow In the district right
now we know that the introduction of Harvest Bars at the elementary level is being contradicted by the
mini marts of the secondary schools Practice that encourages sharing a meal followed by practice that
encourages not dining at all but reinforces the idea that a few cookies and a Gatorade are an acceptable
マWノ HヴWニ キミ デエW ゲデSWミデげゲ Sく
We also discussed professional development days for classified employees as opposed to credentialed
and she firmly believed that support for including those days for NSD was possible when considering
safety and skills associated with interacting with students on a daily basis Food service personnel in
most districts are the only group that touches every child in their area of work every day Giving
BラノSWヴげゲ NldquoD ゲデaa デヴキミキミェ デラ キマヮヴラW デエWゲW ヴWノデキラミゲエキヮゲ ミS Iラntinue skill development that will
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
43 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
enrich the efficiency and cost savings of the NSD as well as aid in program redesign is critical Judy
stated that proposals for professional development days for NSD needed to be proposed with a training
plan in hand
Another opportune meeting we had was with Steve Hoban of Director of Operations Security and
Environmental Services and Joe Sleeper Assistant Superintendant of Operations The meeting had
been scheduled by Leslie Stafford and Sue Anderson as a result of the discussion in our previous report
that reviewed the custodial interface with NSD and specific practice related to cleaning and sanitizing
tables in the dining rooms as well as handling refuse cleaning kitchen floors and how floor mats are
cleaned and handled
The discussion resulted in the recognition that NSD basically stops their area of responsibility at the
service line We had noted this before as key to program change where education extends itself from
food and nutrition to dining and social skills Particularly with the introduction of sa lad bars that
imaginary barrier has been dismantled and to effectively manage the potential of program change the
NSD staff must step out from behind the stove and serving line
We noted in our previous report that the custodians in Boulder are playing key roles particularly in the
elementary school dining rooms In the elementary schools the custodian may be working with the
students throughout the meal period helping them with the Eco Cycle program and talking with them
エキIエ キゲ ノゲ デエW Wミデヴ ヮラキミデ aラヴ WSIデキラミく CラミWヴゲWノ キミ デエW ゲWIラミSヴ ゲIエララノゲ デエW IゲデラSキミゲ Sラミげデ have enough support as the climate of the meal period is not as pleasant and without administrative
support the custodians end up being referees as well as trying to maintain a pleasant and sanitary
environment for the community
TエW WミS ヴWゲノデ ラa デエキゲ aキヴゲデ マWWデキミェ HWデWWミ CゲデラSキノ ミS NldquoD キゲ デエデ デエW キノノ キゲキデ WIエ ラデエWヴげゲ trainings in August and come together on a uniform practice of table sanitation that satisfies HACCP
regulations Floor mat inventories in the kitchens will be done and the two departments will come to an
agreed practice for floor cleaning and matt handling In addition the NSD will begin to step out into the
dining rooms and assist the custodians in table breakdowns thereby reducing back injuries related to
that daily practice and beginning a shared vision of the dining rooms as the meeting point for the two
departments to work together
NEXT STEPS Our next visit to Boulder will include follow up to this trip including meetings with the warehouse
manager and with Data Business Systems We also want to investigate the current practices in the
Universal Breakfast program currently being run at Sanchez Elementary We will finish our site visits and
revisit other key sites at times of service that we were unable to in May More investigation into
transportation is vital to final recommendations as well as a follow up of on inventory management in
the district when it is in full swing rather than closing down for the year We did revisit several sites on
this trip to investigate further footprint and capacity potential and more investigation in food
production and meal distribution redesign will be considered during the September visit
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool
44 BVSD Nutrition Services Feasibility Study に Lunch Lessons LLC - October 2008
List of Files Available at Business Services Office
1 Equipment Inventory Spreadsheet に All Sites
2 Site Photos
3 Site Audit Notes
4 Aging Notes on Stock Report に July 2008
5 Cラノノキミゲげ NラデWゲ ラミ WヴWエラゲW IミWミデラヴ に July 2008
6 Center for Ecoliteracy に Model School Wellness Policy Tool