Beginning in August 2012, the District’s School Food Service (SFS) Department began the first year phase-in implementation of the national legislative changes outlined in the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA). The announcement of the Final Ruling for Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs came at a critical time in our society when nearly 1 in 3 children were considered at risk for preventable health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

Leading up to the implementation, representatives from each of the SFS departmental teams met to thoroughly evaluate how to implement the new regulations and how the changes would affect school sites. To ensure information was disseminated consistently and in an effective manner, we drafted a bulletin to all principals and assistant principals, created a 1-page summary for the Chief Academic Officer, designed an informational flyer for parents, developed an educational flyer for SFS managers, coordinated an All Employee Training in eight simultaneous workshops, and created marketing material for schools to utilize on the serving line. Through extensive planning, communicating, and training, the department was able to successfully implement the first year of the Nutrition Standards.

The changes for nutrition standards were mandatory and as soon as school districts were in compliance with these new standards, they were eligible for an additional $0.06 per lunch meal reimbursement. To ensure compliance with the new regulations and begin receiving the additional $0.06, five Palm Beach County schools were selected for an on-site certification review. Through this review process, all Palm Beach County schools were identified to be in compliance with the USDA regulations for nutrition standards and we received an additional $825,599 in revenue for the 2012-2013 school year.