Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability

Best Practices Could Help School Districts Reduce Their Food Service Program Costs

Report 09-02, February 2009




Report Summary

School districts can implement best practice strategies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their food service operations. These options include

  • establishing strong management systems that provide a framework for short-term and long-term decision making and help ensure that district food service programs remain in a healthy financial position;
  • reducing food costs by joining cooperatives to receive volume discounts, maximizing use of USDA commodities, and improving food purchasing practices;
  • ensuring that food service employees carry out their functions in an efficient and effective manner, implementing alternative meal counting methods and making program changes that reduce the number of employees needed to prepare meals; and
  • identifying and removing barriers to student participation in breakfast and lunch programs, catering school-related functions, negotiating single-source vending machine contracts, and considering meal price increases.


Related Reports
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  2. Providing a Free Breakfast to All Public School Students Would Be Costly for Most School Districts
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  3. School Districts' Food Service Programs Generally Are Not Financially Self-Sufficient
    Report 09-04 February 2009
  4. No Changes Are Necessary to the State's Organization of School Nutrition Programs
    Report 09-03 February 2009
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
nutrition, school district, food service, commodity, commodities, department of education, department of agriculture, lunch, breakfast, meal, USDA, federal reimbursement