MSAD 51 wellness committee updates homework policy review and cafeteria operations; food services report staffing and waste‑reduction work
April 22, 2024 | RSU 51/MSAD 51, School Districts, Maine
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Carol MacArthur, principal of Greeley Middle School and facilitator of the district wellness committee, briefed the MSAD 51 board on the committee’s role and this year’s priorities: homework policy implementation and school nutrition.
MacArthur described the wellness committee’s origin in the district strategic plan and a wellness plan drafted in 2017 with six priority areas. She said the homework ad hoc group produced a one‑page research summary and that building administrators have been comparing current practice to the revised homework policy; schools will notify families in the fall about any updated homework practices.
On nutrition, MacArthur introduced food‑service directors John Carlson and Molly Costable, who said the department rebuilt operations after COVID, now serves breakfast and lunch free to all students, and must comply with Maine state meal guidelines for calories, sodium, saturated fat and required meal components. The directors described supply‑chain challenges and persistent staffing pressures (staffing fell from 15 pre‑COVID to 8 during COVID and has since rebounded to 12 plus one substitute) and said the program is financially self‑sustaining.
“We can successfully run the menu system that we have with the staffing levels we have. Adding complexity to the menu would cause too much stress on our staff,” one director said, describing efforts to balance healthy choices with items students prefer. They also highlighted waste‑reduction efforts (bountiful boxes) and partnerships with local vendors and the food pantry to reuse equipment and incorporate commodity foods such as frozen fruit and meats into menus.
MacArthur said a revised district wellness policy will go to the policy committee next year and will be reviewed by legal counsel to ensure it meets Department of Education requirements. The committee will continue work on nutrition education tied to revised health standards and set goals at its May meeting.
What’s next: the wellness committee will finalize goals in May and the revised wellness policy will be reviewed by legal counsel before policy‑committee consideration.
MacArthur described the wellness committee’s origin in the district strategic plan and a wellness plan drafted in 2017 with six priority areas. She said the homework ad hoc group produced a one‑page research summary and that building administrators have been comparing current practice to the revised homework policy; schools will notify families in the fall about any updated homework practices.
On nutrition, MacArthur introduced food‑service directors John Carlson and Molly Costable, who said the department rebuilt operations after COVID, now serves breakfast and lunch free to all students, and must comply with Maine state meal guidelines for calories, sodium, saturated fat and required meal components. The directors described supply‑chain challenges and persistent staffing pressures (staffing fell from 15 pre‑COVID to 8 during COVID and has since rebounded to 12 plus one substitute) and said the program is financially self‑sustaining.
“We can successfully run the menu system that we have with the staffing levels we have. Adding complexity to the menu would cause too much stress on our staff,” one director said, describing efforts to balance healthy choices with items students prefer. They also highlighted waste‑reduction efforts (bountiful boxes) and partnerships with local vendors and the food pantry to reuse equipment and incorporate commodity foods such as frozen fruit and meats into menus.
MacArthur said a revised district wellness policy will go to the policy committee next year and will be reviewed by legal counsel to ensure it meets Department of Education requirements. The committee will continue work on nutrition education tied to revised health standards and set goals at its May meeting.
What’s next: the wellness committee will finalize goals in May and the revised wellness policy will be reviewed by legal counsel before policy‑committee consideration.
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