IV. Recommendations
No One-size-fits-all Approach After reviewing the list of ranked challenges and preferred training topics and formats across school district size and urbanicity, there are clear differences in perspectives, experiences, and needs. Small and rural school districts operate within a set of unique circumstances like proximity to vendors, including grocery stores, distributors, and producers. These districts may also have limited facilities, tight budgets, and fewer staff. The person administering the school nutrition program prioritizes getting food to students, which can mean hauling gallons of milk from the grocery store in their personal vehicle instead of conducting market research or documenting small
purchases accurately. This individual would benefit from additional capacity, a storage facility, or even a delivery truck, to alleviate same-day shopping and multiple shopping trips. Beyond additional equipment and funds to lessen the logistical load, school nutrition staff need training that can adjust to their packed schedule and options for on-site, in-person training opportunities at potentially remote locations. The survey demonstrates that an overwhelming majority of respondents see their state agency as the best source for guidance, training, and information on school food procurement. Many state agencies provide a suite of resources and training uniquely tailored to school nutrition staff, including on the topic of procurement. However, some survey responses also indicated that school nutrition staff seek further help and assistance from their state agencies. For example, given that state agencies conduct audits and reviews, it would benefit a small or rural district to receive tactical, hands-on support from their state agency on how to make improvements, which some state agencies do not see as their responsibility or charge. Instead, some districts are given just a checklist of failures and no additional guidance on how to correct them. A nutrition director from the Southwest shared that when requesting guidance on unique purchasing situations their state agency simply denies the request “without guidance on how to make it work within the guidelines.” Similarly, a nutrition director from the Midwest wrote, “[the state agency] provides little resources beyond USDA language and absolutely NO online or in person training for School Nutrition directors on [procurement].” To help smaller and rural districts do more with less and conduct successful operations, state agencies can coordinate with regional or local service centers, or education boards, and align training so that it is tailored to the needs of that region. In addition to customized training, the state should consider tapping professionals who operate school food procurements as subject-matter experts to deliver training. This training should be in-person or via recorded webinars, and it should facilitate peer-to-peer learning across roles or across districts, especially for those smaller and rural districts where time and distance are major barriers to training. State agencies should implement these considerations for urban and suburban districts as well, especially in expanding their vendor pool and gaining greater access to local farms and vendors. Larger school districts struggle to find local vendors that can meet their order quantities and meal pattern requirements, but state agencies can help by expanding training on forecasting, planning, and assessing purchasing thresholds to allow for more purchasing flexibility and alignment with federal rules.
22 Procuring Good Food at School: From Contracts to Lunch Trays |
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