How one cafeteria got creative to get out of the red

Facing a cafeteria fund that was $25,000 in the negative at this time last year, West Branch School District in Morrison, Pa., looked to debuting new foods and creating a youth advisory committee to turn its foodservice finances around, reports The Progress News.

Those efforts have paid off, officials said during a school board meeting this week, as the cafeteria fund has logged a net income of $17,000 for the current school year.

The district’s a la carte sales have risen by $1,900 since changes were enacted, said the district’s nutrition consultant. Efforts to boost breakfast participation also helped increase overall sales.

“[The consultant] did a really nice job of getting a cross-representation of students from grades 7 through 12 to participate,” Superintendent Michelle Dutrow said, as reported by The Progress News. “Students provided some really valuable insight into providing us with some very do-able suggestions for the cafeteria moving forward.”

Read the full story via The Progress News.