Procuring Good Food at School

Table 2. Respondent District Size and Type

USDA DEFINITION TOTAL POPULATION SURVEY POPULATION <1,000 Students 59.6% (10,740) 35.4% (502) <1,000 – 4,999 students 29.7% (5,363) 39.2% (556) 5,000 – 24,999 students 9.1% (1,642) 17.3% (246) * 25,000 + students 1.6% (284) 8.2% (116) ** Rural 52.5% (9,466) 54.7% (777) Suburban 26.2% (4,721) 29.4% (418) Urban 21.3% (3,866) 15.8% (225)

* 5,001 to 20,000 students ** more than 20,000 students

Lastly, we collected data from our respondents about years of experience working in the school nutrition space, as challenges and training needs experienced by school nutrition professionals and school business officials may vary depending on their tenure in the field. The survey asked respondents to select a range for the number of years they have been in their current role and the number of total years of experience in work related to Child Nutrition Programs. More than half (52%) of respondents have been in their current role longer than five years, and 57% of all respondents have more than 10 years of experience in child nutrition. These numbers could indicate that individuals tend to enter and make long-lasting careers in the child nutrition industry. However, staff shortages and turnover continue to be a challenge across SFAs, which could indicate that there are varying levels of support and resources provided to new employees versus career professionals.

9 Procuring Good Food at School: From Contracts to Lunch Trays |