Streamlining the school cafeteria line

Highland Elementary students better have a fruit and vegetable on their plates when they move past the watchful eye of cafeteria manager Angie Vidrine.
“Where’s your vegetable?” she asks as a first-grader walks by her desk.
“I didn’t get one,” the youngster replies.
“Well go back and get one,” Vidrine says. “You know you have to have one.”
On this particular day, the main course is baked chicken, and students have their choice of a sweet potato dish, rice or red beans with sausage. The students move through the line at a swift pace now that Vidrine no longer has to collect lunch fees from any of the children.
As part of the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, eight schools, including Highland Elementary, and two programs in St. Landry Parish now offer breakfast and lunch free of charge to all students. The Community Eligibility Provision section of the act provides meal reimbursement to eligible schools or even whole school districts with an identified student population (ISP) -- children that are already approved for free meals because of their participation in other programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program -- of 40 percent or more. Highland Elementary is the only school in Eunice taking part in the program. 
“The majority of the schools in the parish are eligible, but the school board went with a 60 percent or more ISP cut off for the pilot program,” said Lucretia Chancler, Supervisor of Child Nutrition for the St. Landry Parish School Board. “To determine the financial feasibility of CEP, a monthly federal reimbursement estimator was used. They (the U. S. Department of Agriculture) sent us a template to key each school’s participation data to see if we would be in the red, generate revenue or break even.”
“Ultimately, we would have been in the red if whole district (all schools) joined the program at this time.” 
Through the provision, the school system is reimbursed every month for the prior month’s total student meal participation at each of the participating schools for both breakfast and lunch. The feasibility viability of the program at each school depends mainly on both student participation and the percentage of ISP students, which determines the reimbursement percentage for the free and reduced rate.
Schools in the pilot program have a high ISP, which allows for a reimbursement at the free rate of 100 percent for all meals claimed. In the future as more schools are added, the ISP will likely decrease and the school district will no longer have a free rate reimbursement of 100 percent. In turn, the district will have to absorb the cost of the paid rate percentage for those students.
According to statistics provided by Chancler, last year almost 89 percent of Highland Elementary’s students were already eating free meals, and a little over 6 percent were eating reduced-price meals. The school system is now reimbursed $3 for free lunches and 30 cents for the paid lunches. The breakfast reimbursement rate is $1.93 for free meals and 28 cents for paid ones.
Chancler has already seen a sharp increase in meal participation thanks to the program.
“In 2013, 41.8 percent of Highland Elementary students were eating breakfast at school,” she said. “That number is up to 59.66 percent now. That’s a 17 percent increase. I am amazed at the year-to-year comparison.”
“We have also had a slight increase in lunch participation,” she added.
On average, 142 of the school’s 238 students are now eating breakfast provided by the school, and 201 of the students are eating lunch provided by the school.
In addition to free meals for students, the program also relieves Vidrine and other Highland staff members from sending out, collecting and processing applications for free or reduced meals as well as collecting fees for meals.
“We would still be processing (free or reduced meal) applications if not for the program,” Chancler said. “Those schools will no longer have to deal with lunch applications. This is one of the extra benefits of the program, to alleviate the administrative side. It will help cafeteria managers get kids through the lunch line faster.”
“It sounds like a lunch lady cliche, but we love our students,” Vidrine said. “Overall, it is a wonderful, wonderful program. The school is blessed to be chosen. The children truly benefit from this program. They will receive two healthy meals a day, free of charge.”
“I have crossed a few parents on campus, and they say the program is wonderful. The teachers are also thrilled.”
“The parents of full and reduced-price meal students no longer have to pay for breakfast and lunch,” said Highland Elementary Principal Lorie Ledoux. “I am very happy that Highland was chosen to participate in this pilot program.”
The school board will reapply for the two programs and eight schools for the provision every four years, unless there is a tremendous drop off in the ISP of a school, and more schools may be applied to the program next year.
“We don’t have a number yet on how many schools we hope to add,” Chancler said. “I want my babies to eat healthy meals and learn and grow. The ultimate goal is to prepare our children for learning.”