Contracted Food Service Management Company at YPS

This blog has copied/pasted info from the York News-Times article that Steve Moseley published on August 28, 2014. Pklease visit www.yorknewstimes.com for more info.

Lunch is going to have a different flavor this year for York students.

The school board has gotten out of the food service business and handed those duties in their entirety over to LunchTime Solutions, a private contractor. The first was chosen for its proposal about how and what to feed students at the elementary, middle school and high school buildings. “York Public Schools is very excited about our new partnership with LunchTime Solutions, who now handles all of our food service needs,” said Superintendent Dr. Mike Lucas this week. “This is something we’ve looked into for almost three years. We wanted to pursue contracted school meal service through a food service management company because it saves money, increases the quantity of food that students can eat, and can also help improve food quality in some instances.”

He said districts such as Hastings, Holdrege, McCook, Ralston and others have been very pleased with their partnerships with contracted food service companies. School district food service programs have undergone numerous changes and restrictions in the past few years and the York board felt that bringing in a professional organization like LunchTime Solutions was the best thing to do for York students.

“One of the biggest complaints we always received was that our students weren’t getting enough to eat,” Lucas said. “With LunchTime Solutions, our students can now get unlimited fruits and vegetables every day to help fill them up and/or they can also purchase another main course if they wish to.”

Students also receive up to five entrée choices a day at YMS/YHS while YES offers two to three choices. “Many of our students and staff have already been very excited about the wonderful salads available in all buildings.”

YPS always had dedicated food service staff that did a good job with the numerous restrictions they had to follow, he said. Now with a food service management company like LunchTime Solutions that staff can get the professional development, support and training they need.

“Most of our former food service staff continues to work in YPS kitchens but they now do so as an employee of LunchTime Solutions,” Lucas explained.
“We visited Hastings High in 2013 and really liked how LunchTime Solutions helped improve their school meal program. The “grab and go” lunch program at YHS, also known as “Cruising Café,” will start up in September and will feature bacon cheeseburgers, chicken strips and lots of other popular items for our high school students.”