3551 BP - Food Service Operations

 

Business and Noninstructional Operations  
Board Policy No.  3551
Adopted: October 5, 2019
Revised: January 12, 2023
Revised: May 30, 2024
 

FOOD SERVICE OPERATIONS/CAFETERIA FUND

The Governing Board intends that school food services shall be a self-supporting, nonprofit program. To ensure program quality and increase cost effectiveness, the Superintendent or designee shall centralize and direct the purchasing of food and supplies, the planning of menus, and the auditing of all food service accounts for the District.

The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that food service director(s) possess the qualifications required by 7 CFR 210.30 and California Department of Education (CDE) standards.

At least once each year, food service administrators, other appropriate personnel who conduct or oversee administrative procedures, and other food service personnel shall receive training provided by the California Department of Education (CDE). (42 USC 1776)

Meal Sales
Any student who requests a meal shall be served a nutritionally adequate breakfast and lunch free of charge, each school day. (Education Code 49501.5)

As permitted by law, additional or second meals, adult meals, and other nonprogram foods, such as smart snack compliant food and beverages sold in vending machines, may be sold to students. (Education Code 38082, 49501.5)

Meals may be sold to district employees, Board members, and employees or members of the fund or association maintaining the cafeteria. (Education Code 38082)

In addition, meals may be sold to nonstudents, including parents/guardians, volunteers, students' siblings, or other iindividuals, who are authorized by the Superintendent or designee to be on campus. Any meals served to nonstudents shall not be subsidized by federal or state reimbursements, food service revenues, or U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) foods.

Meal prices, as recommended by the Superintendent or designee and approved by the Board, shall be based on the costs of providing food services and consistent with Education Code 38084 and 42 USC 1760.

The Superintendent or designee shall establish strategies and procedures for the collection of meal payments. Such procedures shall conform with 2 CFR 200.426 and any applicable CDE guidance. The Superintendent or designee shall clearly communicate these procedures to students and parents/guardians, and shall make this policy and the accompanying
administrative regulation available to the public pursuant to Education Code 49557.5.

The Superintendent or designee shall establish strategies and procedures for the collection of meal payments. Such procedures shall conform with 2 CFR 200.426 and any applicable CDE guidance. The Superintendent or designee shall clearly communicate these procedures to students and parents/guardians, and shall make this policy and the accompanying administrative regulation available to the public pursuant to Education Code 49557.5.

Cafeteria Fund
The Superintendent or designee shall establish a cafeteria fund independent of the District’s general fund. 

The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that state and federal funds provided through school meal program are allocated only for purposes related to the operation or improvement of food services and reasonable and necessary indirect program costs as allowed by law.

The wages, salaries, and benefits of food service employees shall be paid from the cafeteria fund. (Education Code 38103)

Contracts with Outside Services
With Board approval, the District may enter into a contract for food service consulting services or food service management services in one or more district schools. (Education Code 45103.5; 42 USC 1758; 7 CFR 210.16)

Procurement of Food and Supplies
To the maximum extent practicable, foods purchased for use in school meals by the district or by any entity purchasing food on its behalf shall be domestic commodities or products. Domestic commodity or product means an agricultural commodity that is produced in the United States and a food product that is processed in the United States substantially using agricultural commodities that are produced in the United States. (42 USC 1760; 7 CFR 210.21)

When soliciting for bids and contracts for the purchase of an agricultural food product, the district shall specify in the solicitation that only the purchase of agricultural food products grown, packed, or processed domestically is authorized, unless a specific exception applies. A nondomestic food product may be purchased for use in the district's food service program only as a last resort when the product is not produced or manufactured in the United States in sufficient and reasonably available quantities of a satisfactory quality, the quality of the domestic product is inferior to the quality of the nondomestic product, or the bid or price of the nondomestic product is more than 25 percent lower than the bid or price of the domestic product. In such cases, the Superintendent or designee shall retain documentation justifying the use of the exception for three years from the date of purchase. (Food and Agriculture Code 58596.3)

Furthermore, the district shall accept a bid or price for an agricultural product grown in California before accepting a bid or price for an agricultural product grown outside of the state, if the quality of the California-grown product is comparable and the bid or price does not exceed the lowest bid or price of a product produced outside the state. (Food and Agriculture Code 58595)

Bid solicitations and awards for purchases of equipment, materials or supplies in support of the district’s child nutrition program, or for contracts awarded pursuant to Public Contract Code 2000, shall be consistent with the federal
procurement standards in 2 CFR.318-220.236. Awards shall be let to the most responsive and responsible party. Price shall be the primary consideration, but not the only determining factor, in making such an award. (Public Contract Code 20111).

Program Monitoring and Evaluation
The Superintendent or designee shall present to the Board, at least annually, financial reports regarding revenues and expenditures related to the food service program. The Superintendent or designee shall provide all necessary documentation required for the Administrative Review conducted by the CDE to ensure compliance of the District's food service program with federal requirements.

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