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Jul 2, 2009 | Posted by: roboblogger

Santa Cruz City Schools holds off on hiring new food service provider

Full story: Santa Cruz Sentinel

Monday, trustees for Santa Cruz City Schools weighed a second major step in overhauling the district's cafeteria program, but chose to delay a critical vote until a new food services director is hired next month and the financial impact is reviewed.

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Xanthippe

Joined: May 13, 2008

Comments: 2420

Santa Cruz, CA

ISP: San Francisco, CA

Raising the cost 50%- to $3.25 from $2.50 - is outrageous.

Back in the day, the school lunch program was in place so that a few kids had something to eat at lunch because "how can we expect hungry kids to learn"? But it was a few kids, not half of them.

(Lunch cost 30 or 40 cents too, and subsidized milk was a nickle or dime).

Now, that program has been perverted into a government give-away.

How many of those kids would come to school with no lunch at all? Not half, I'm sure.

So now, not only are we past the idea of hungry kids being unable to concentrate, we're going to make sure they have healthy tasty food as well.

And the costs are going up by 50%. Ridiculous.

Nobody's going to buy school lunch at $3.25 - except the kids who get it free or reduced rate.

uh Clem

Oakland, CA

It's a good thing they're bringing in outsiders from Oakland to deliver "fresh, local and often organic ingredients." Because, uh,... it's like... well. Yeah: Revolution. Right on. Duh!

take care of kids much

Santa Cruz, CA

"So now, not only are we past the idea of hungry kids being unable to concentrate, we're going to make sure they have healthy tasty food as well."
As my Gramdma used to say:
" we should all have such a problem"
This is a good thing and I'm glad its going to happen. And if you haven't either seen a school lunch lately or paid for groceries for a family, I submit you don't know what you are talking about.

Marijke Haranoi

Santa Cruz, CA

This needed to happen. At the school where I teach they serve total garbage: the students get out of their health class where they learn about healthy eating habits, and head over to the food lines, where they are offered the nastiest, poorest quality foods that the food service can get away with. Also, the food service offers items which, although respecting the letter of the law, definitely doesn't qualify as healthy by any stretch of the imagination.
For example: A big piece of white flour coffee cake, a oily "hashbrown" patty, iceberg lettuce salad with ranch dressing, burritos with only cheese and refried beans, hamburgers on white buns, no veggies involved. They offer candy "as long as it has peanut butter in it" and plenty of little bags of chips.
I know that we can find solutions to job losses, which is a serious issue, but I am really glad that our money is not being spent on junk like what I usually see students eating.

healthy is good

Boulder Creek, CA

How wonderful that state law finally requires healthy lunches be fed our children while they are at school, as required by law. This is revolutionary and while I'd prefer a local group to run the program, according to the article, that may be a reality as the program gets developed.
It would be even better if the kids were involved in both growing and preparing the food as well. So many young folks don't know how to eat healthy let alone prepare a meal from scratch because their parents work or don't know how themselves. The money spent on eating healthy is money that won't have to be spent on sickcare.

MKS

Santa Cruz, CA

Xanthippe wrote:

Raising the cost 50%- to $3.25 from $2.50 - is outrageous.
Back in the day, the school lunch program was in place so that a few kids had something to eat at lunch because "how can we expect hungry kids to learn"? But it was a few kids, not half of them.
(Lunch cost 30 or 40 cents too, and subsidized milk was a nickle or dime).
Now, that program has been perverted into a government give-away.
How many of those kids would come to school with no lunch at all? Not half, I'm sure.
So now, not only are we past the idea of hungry kids being unable to concentrate, we're going to make sure they have healthy tasty food as well.
And the costs are going up by 50%. Ridiculous.
Nobody's going to buy school lunch at $3.25 - except the kids who get it free or reduced rate.

I will allow my child to purchase school lunch that is fresh and has balanced nutrition. Full price... I get no reductions. I pack lunch generally for my child, but it's nice to have a hot alternative when I know my child is going to have a long day. Thanks for your concern, but it is about time the food quality returned to what existed "back in the day", as you put it. And comparing prices will need to factor in inflation, as I am sure you are aware.

Food Eater

MKS wrote:

<quoted text>
I will allow my child to purchase school lunch that is fresh and has balanced nutrition. Full price... I get no reductions. I pack lunch generally for my child, but it's nice to have a hot alternative when I know my child is going to have a long day. Thanks for your concern, but it is about time the food quality returned to what existed "back in the day", as you put it. And comparing prices will need to factor in inflation, as I am sure you are aware.

Bravo! Way to prove my point, too bad you don't have a clue. Your kid is going to spend more money for food in which they will not like. The burgers come with lettuce, many buy them plain because they don't like vegetables, and most vegetables end in the trash can. Have you ever looked in one? The coffee cakes are the most popular item at my high school and are very good. Oily hash browns are you kidding me? Go to McDoNALDS AND EAT THEIR HASH BROWNS! The wellness committee sure has brainwashed a lot of locals! At least students or should I say adults (at the high school level) will get some exercise by walking or driving to fast food places or resturants. High school students are more intersted in saving money for alcohol or drugs. You have no clue about food "back in the day", do you mean when the schools sold icees, candy, donuts, and all the other food that kept kids back on campus and more school spirited. PLEASE!!! Don't you love hypocrits, the people that eat at Burger King, and blame the school systems.(What a wonderful time we live in!) The only problem with the food system, are the reduced fat chips, no more fruit drinks ( I didn't know minute maid lemonade was bad for you?) Boy, the trash cans will sure be filling up faster than they are now with unopened containers of milk. The baked fries sold out every time at the cafeteria, but arent available anymore because of people like you. I guess you can just go to a fast food place and eat fries with trans fats now, eh? I am tired about people complaining about the food, WORRY ABOUT SAVING THE SPORTS AND EDUCATION!!!!!!!!!

Xanthippe

Joined: May 13, 2008

Comments: 2420

Santa Cruz, CA

ISP: Santa Barbara, CA

MKS wrote:

<quoted text>
I will allow my child to purchase school lunch that is fresh and has balanced nutrition. Full price... I get no reductions. I pack lunch generally for my child, but it's nice to have a hot alternative when I know my child is going to have a long day. Thanks for your concern, but it is about time the food quality returned to what existed "back in the day", as you put it. And comparing prices will need to factor in inflation, as I am sure you are aware.

You're missing the point here.

The full price of a lunch will go from $2.25 per day to $3.50 per day. That's an increase of 50%-$1.25 increase.

Many people will not be paying full price for lunch who were, merely because of the cost.

The school lunch program will be more unsustainable than it currently is. The costs for providing free and reduced rate- lunches will go up 50%, but the amount collected from the feds or state will not.

So what are you willing to give up? Smaller classes? Art? Music? Something will have to give in order to pay for these new lunches.

While I applaud the idea of making lunches more nutritious, it ought to be done for a less than 50% increase in cost.

the opposition

Oakland, CA

MORE MONEY LOST FOR EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN. We are short supplies, books, facilities, and on and on..
But we spend $30,000 just for an out of state consultant to look at our program. Wasteful

It's true that much of the food is thrown in the waste baskets whether it is nutritious or not.
It has always been so. So we throw money down the drain and wonder why are children are too well fed and too poorly educated. If you believe in nutritious, natural, healthy meals, make them for your children. And those few people who come with nothing can be given simple, uncooked healthy food.
So simple really.

Xanthippe

Joined: May 13, 2008

Comments: 2420

Santa Cruz, CA

ISP: San Francisco, CA

Math is hard. Twice I got it wrong.

Current lunch cost is $2.50/day
New lunch cost will be $3.25/day
Difference is $0.75/day or 33%, not 50%.
Still - 33% is a lot!

Now - that consultant from Chez Panisse cost us $30,600 for two weeks of work.(That represents 9,415 lunches at $3.25, or 12,240 lunches at the old price of $2.50 each, or 40,800 lunches at the difference of $0.75.)

The consultant said that we ought to make scratch lunches at the schools again in order to have healthier lunches. You know, I could have asked any parent I know and gotten that answer for free.

Maybe Cynthia Hawthorne should have polled parents at the district schools to find out why they don't buy lunch for their kids, and how much are they willing to pay per day for lunch for their kids, before hiring an expensive consultant from Chez Panisse.

I predict the food service program will flop due to costs. I can send a healthier, tastier lunch to school with my kid every day for far less than $3.50.

SC Taxpayer

San Juan Bautista, CA

The real solution is to outsource food service to companies that know what they are doing and get out from under the SEIU stranglehold that limits what can be done. School districts should concentrate on education and not food service, transportation, landscaping, payroll, etc. Imagine paying exorbitant salaries, benefits and pensions to people who make greasy pizza and mushy cheeseburgers. For $3.50, you should be able to provide very high quality food but this will never happen in a do nothing union shop. To add insult to injury, the food service workers union is constantly preventing students from selling food items for fund raisers because it infringes on their "turf". The easy solution is to outsource everything but teaching and then you will see real progress.

Parent

Santa Cruz, CA

Food Eater wrote:

<quoted text>
Bravo! Way to prove my point, too bad you don't have a clue. Your kid is going to spend more money for food in which they will not like. The burgers come with lettuce, many buy them plain because they don't like vegetables, and most vegetables end in the trash can. Have you ever looked in one? The coffee cakes are the most popular item at my high school and are very good. Oily hash browns are you kidding me? Go to McDoNALDS AND EAT THEIR HASH BROWNS! The wellness committee sure has brainwashed a lot of locals! At least students or should I say adults (at the high school level) will get some exercise by walking or driving to fast food places or resturants. High school students are more intersted in saving money for alcohol or drugs. You have no clue about food "back in the day", do you mean when the schools sold icees, candy, donuts, and all the other food that kept kids back on campus and more school spirited. PLEASE!!! Don't you love hypocrits, the people that eat at Burger King, and blame the school systems.(What a wonderful time we live in!) The only problem with the food system, are the reduced fat chips, no more fruit drinks ( I didn't know minute maid lemonade was bad for you?) Boy, the trash cans will sure be filling up faster than they are now with unopened containers of milk. The baked fries sold out every time at the cafeteria, but arent available anymore because of people like you. I guess you can just go to a fast food place and eat fries with trans fats now, eh? I am tired about people complaining about the food, WORRY ABOUT SAVING THE SPORTS AND EDUCATION!!!!!!!!!

I'll bet you are the sort who asks a kid if they WANT their medicine.

Nope, not a fast food eater. None of my parent friends are either, as of late. We've evolved, I guess. Our kids have too. They leave their lettuce in their burgers. They also like fresh food. Put one of those plastic-wrapped "burritos" in front of them and they look at you like "what do you expect me to do with this?" Good nutrition in, better brain power out. Pure and simple. It all connects.

Parent

Santa Cruz, CA

Xanthippe wrote:

Math is hard. Twice I got it wrong.
Current lunch cost is $2.50/day
New lunch cost will be $3.25/day
Difference is $0.75/day or 33%, not 50%.
Still - 33% is a lot!
Now - that consultant from Chez Panisse cost us $30,600 for two weeks of work.(That represents 9,415 lunches at $3.25, or 12,240 lunches at the old price of $2.50 each, or 40,800 lunches at the difference of $0.75.)
The consultant said that we ought to make scratch lunches at the schools again in order to have healthier lunches. You know, I could have asked any parent I know and gotten that answer for free.
Maybe Cynthia Hawthorne should have polled parents at the district schools to find out why they don't buy lunch for their kids, and how much are they willing to pay per day for lunch for their kids, before hiring an expensive consultant from Chez Panisse.
I predict the food service program will flop due to costs. I can send a healthier, tastier lunch to school with my kid every day for far less than $3.50.

Don't sweat your math error, it happens. The higher logic you should take a closer look at too, however. Ms. Hawthorne did not pursue better nutrition alone. There is a very large group of parents and district employees involved as well. I do applaud Ms. Hawthorne's perseverance in the face of so many obstacles. For our kids to perform well, they need decent nutrition. That is what we are working on. There is no perfect solution, as evidenced by this less-than-perfect interim plan. Frankly, it seems the District is bending over backwards to preserve jobs and move forward for the good of the children's health as well. I can't find fault in that, and I look forward to the day when I can take a break from packing a lunch for my child every single day and know that a good, nutritious lunch can be bought at school. I especially look forward to the day when my child's friends who are undernourished for economic reasons can get the nutrition they need. Call me a bleeding heart liberal, call me whatever you want. Kids need to eat good food.

Food Eater

Oakland, CA

Parent wrote:

<quoted text>
I'll bet you are the sort who asks a kid if they WANT their medicine.
Nope, not a fast food eater. None of my parent friends are either, as of late. We've evolved, I guess. Our kids have too. They leave their lettuce in their burgers. They also like fresh food. Put one of those plastic-wrapped "burritos" in front of them and they look at you like "what do you expect me to do with this?" Good nutrition in, better brain power out. Pure and simple. It all connects.

Are you saying your kids have never eaten a plastic wrapped burrito at a taqueria? They've had too, there are so many taquerias in Santa Cruz, THEY ARE MULTIPLYING EVERY DAY! I am very happy you have "evolved with your kids"! I am so proud of you! I love fresh food too, just like the salads at the school cafeterias. Something just doesn't make sense, you have evolved by not eating fast food, but the rest of most students haven't I guess... I am extremely sorry that your kids don't know what to do when someone gives them food that is plastic wrapped, how sad, are they allergic to plastic... oh well, GO BRAIN POWER!!! Your another one of those people that are still not satisfied, event though the cafeteria does not sell sodas, fried food, or anything else, THANK YOU! PRETTY SOON THERE WILL BE NO MORE FOOD TO BE SERVED BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE YOU WILL STILL COMPLAIN.(I GUESS EVERYTHING IS BAD FOR YOU ... WATER?) Never put ketchup on your kids burgers because is has high fructose corn syrup, who knows, some whackos in SC probaly think it will cause cancer. Do you give your kids medicine? Do your kids actually like the taste of medicine? Are they addicted? I can tell that you NEED some sort of medicine, because you don't have clue. How does a burrito sound?

Flexibility

Palo Alto, CA

Food Eater wrote:

<quoted text>
Are you saying your kids have never eaten a plastic wrapped burrito at a taqueria? They've had too, there are so many taquerias in Santa Cruz, THEY ARE MULTIPLYING EVERY DAY! I am very happy you have "evolved with your kids"! I am so proud of you! I love fresh food too, just like the salads at the school cafeterias. Something just doesn't make sense, you have evolved by not eating fast food, but the rest of most students haven't I guess... I am extremely sorry that your kids don't know what to do when someone gives them food that is plastic wrapped, how sad, are they allergic to plastic... oh well, GO BRAIN POWER!!! Your another one of those people that are still not satisfied, event though the cafeteria does not sell sodas, fried food, or anything else, THANK YOU! PRETTY SOON THERE WILL BE NO MORE FOOD TO BE SERVED BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE YOU WILL STILL COMPLAIN.(I GUESS EVERYTHING IS BAD FOR YOU ... WATER?) Never put ketchup on your kids burgers because is has high fructose corn syrup, who knows, some whackos in SC probaly think it will cause cancer. Do you give your kids medicine? Do your kids actually like the taste of medicine? Are they addicted? I can tell that you NEED some sort of medicine, because you don't have clue. How does a burrito sound?

Uh, maybe the district shouldn't bend over backwards to save *all* the jobs.:-O

Keith

Children's Choice - www.ChoiceLunch.com - is another option for schools - with a kitchen located close by in San Jose!

Chess

United States

Keith wrote:

Children's Choice - www.ChoiceLunch.com - is another option for schools - with a kitchen located close by in San Jose!

Looks like a private school option. Public school districts can't rely on pre-order only lunch providers.

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