Even in normal times, providing meals for students is a complex logistical operation. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing schools to close or adopt adjusted instructional arrangements, food service directors are simultaneously running multiple programs to meet student needs—including drive-through meal pickup, on-site service in classrooms and gymnasiums, and packaged meals for "non-school days" in hybrid learning models.

At the Shenendehowa Central School District in Clifton Park, New York, the once-bustling cafeterias now accommodate only a small fraction of the district's approximately 10,000 students across its 13 school buildings. Grades 7 through 12 are on a hybrid schedule, while K-6 students attend school five days a week.

The Shenendehowa Central School District cafeterias, once serving as meal preparation and distribution centers, have shifted to unconventional delivery methods. Food is placed outside elementary school classroom doors. Multiple meal service points have been set up throughout middle and high school buildings to limit the number of students queuing for meals, who then return to their desks to eat.

Social distancing measures have also been further implemented in gymnasiums, with desks spaced six feet apart and numbered, serving both for delivering ordered meals and for contact tracing.

"All food is pre-packaged in plastic wrap or plastic takeout containers, and lidded cups are also a safety precaution and to reduce spills in non-traditional dining areas," said Katy Headwell, the district's food service director.

Research shows that lunch is linked to students'academic and social performanceat school.With food insecurity on the rise and the challenges of rapidly changing school environments, school leaders and food service directors are redesigning cafeteria programs to continue feeding students.

Developing Logistics Solutions

During a typical lunch period, students would line up, take trays, choose food, and eat in the cafeteria. The pandemic has caused most students to eat in gymnasiums, classrooms, or at home, which has not only upended the original process but also changed waste collection and other logistical tasks that were previously confined to the cafeteria.

"We sat down with each principal to exchange ideas and asked for their input to determine the best meal service areas, avoid students having to walk too far, and minimize the burden on already overworked teachers and custodial staff," Headwell said.

For in-person classrooms, the district created a shared Google spreadsheet to collect orders, with each teacher assigned a tab and recording orders at the start of each school day. Custodial staff were also involved in planning so they could collect trash and strategically disinfect according to the food service delivery schedule.

"Being able to make changes and stay flexible when you find that some plans work on paper but not in practice is key," she added. "Dr. Robinson (the superintendent) was very receptive to ideas and said we could try things to see what works."

During the pandemic, using district-owned or contracted school buses for home meal delivery has also been crucial. Elizabeth Bouchard, food service director at Franklin County Technical School in rural western Massachusetts, worked with her superintendent in March to design a delivery route using contracted bus services.

She anticipates it is only a matter of time before schools close again, and she and administrators are discussing how to use district-owned vehicles or contracted services to feed the 570 students spread across 540 square miles.

"Being able to make changes and stay flexible when you find that some plans work on paper but not in practice is key."

— Katy Headwell, Food Service Director, Shenendehowa Central School District, Clifton Park, NY

Now, the challenge lies in maintaining community relations. Other schools in the FCTS service area had questioned its meal delivery service in the spring, and the school has also received inquiries about future closure plans.

"We are not trying to compete with other schools, but other schools have reached out to me to learn about our plans," Bouchard said. "We may need to set up more limited sites, only for our own enrolled students, and use a pre-order system."

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only created new logistical issues for meal service, but school leaders also anticipate significant financial losses. A newSchool Nutrition Association surveyfound that 54% of responding districts reported financial losses in the 2019/20 school year, while 62% expect "troubling" losses this school year.

Engaging Students

Encouraging teachers to collaborate with food service staff helps bridge the gap between socially distanced cafeterias and classrooms. In October,the USDA expanded free mealsto all children for the entire 2020-21 school year, without waivers or income verification. This is a measure to inform parents that meals are free, but it does not always translate into participation.

Arranging daily announcements and asking teachers to remind students during order collection that meals are available to everyone are key ways administrators help food service staff increase participation rates.

"We proactively hand out breakfast as students enter the building," Headwell said. "It has made a significant difference; even at the elementary level, we have seen a substantial increase in participation."

Headwell was invited to a high school class to explain to students the safety precautions kitchen staff take to protect them from the virus. The ServeSafe-certified instructor said many of the protocols they follow are long-standing preventive measures, but educating students helps encourage their participation in the meal program.

Meanwhile, after schools closed in Michigan in March, aninteractive map launched by the state education departmenthelped students find school meal pickup locations.

Partnering with the Community

In the Denver suburbs, Jefferson County Public Schools serves approximately 82,000 students, 30% of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Pre-K through 5th grade students attend school five days a week, while grades 6 through 12 are on a hybrid schedule with a 100% remote option.

The district relies on its food service program to serve meals on campus and meet the needs of remote learning days through packaged meals. But Beth Wallace, executive director of food and nutrition services for the district, said they are ready to restart the community partnerships established during the peak of the pandemic if schools are forced to close again.

Wallace said coordinating food distribution with local hunger relief organizations and food banks has increased student access. Her team organized and promoted remote pickup sites and allowed external groups to use space to distribute boxes of food and backpack food services.

She said clearly communicating what the school offers and the resources available has made the program highly successful. But she advises: "Be very clear about what you can and cannot do. We were already understaffed and told them they could set up a tent next to us, but we did not have enough manpower to do the distribution."

Connecting with other school leaders and food service directors can also uncover best practices and creative approaches to finding cafeteria solutions that work amid pandemic challenges. Resources such as Arkansas's "Pandemic-Era Food, Fun, and Creativity" and peer professional exchange platforms provide channels for sharing solutions and discussing options.

Involving the Planning Process

Administrators say the schools most successful in adapting food service to changing guidelines and schedules have established partnerships between administrative and food service leadership. According to Diane Pratt-Heavner, media relations director for the School Nutrition Association, districts that struggle often treat school meal service as an afterthought after reopening plans are developed.

"Having administrative support is crucial," Bouchard said. "Not everyone thinks including us is important, but we are a key part of operations. I cannot imagine how we would manage to feed everyone without administrators willing to include us."