SD U-46 warehouse handles food, curriculum and electronics; foreman cites about 32,000 meals daily

Suzanne Johnson, superintendent of SD U-46, toured the district’s distribution center with Vladimir Hernandez, the facility’s foreman, who described the warehouse’s role supporting schools across the district.

Hernandez said the warehouse "handle[s] many different items" and listed food service products, electronics and curriculum materials as core categories the team manages. "We have routes for food service," he said, and noted the operation supplies breakfast and lunch each day to the district’s buildings.

On staffing and scale, Hernandez said "there's only 15 of us" in the warehouse and that the operation runs six food routes. He stated the deliveries amount to about "32,000 meals per day," a volume he characterized as roughly matching the district’s student population.

During the visit Hernandez demonstrated operational procedures, including unloading a refrigerated truck and handling empty baskets, and walked through steps staff take to secure equipment for transport. He showed how staff use straps, shrink-wrap and brackets to minimize damage when moving monitors or other items between buildings.

Johnson asked about the warehouse’s role when buildings are retired. Hernandez explained the team inventories items from retiring facilities, transfers reusable equipment to other buildings or to warehouse stock, and uploads items to an online catalog so other buildings can order them.

Johnson thanked Hernandez for explaining the work and the warehouse’s role in keeping schools supplied. The visit emphasized logistics and asset management behind daily school operations rather than policy decisions or budget actions.