Citrus School’s Food & Nutritional Services

Not your old school lunch days

If you were to guess, who would you think owns and runs the largest restaurants in Citrus County?  It is Citrus County School District, Director of Food Services, Roy R. Pistone II, RD, MEd, SNS and his great staff.  Citrus Food & Nutritional Services department serve on average about 8,600 lunches a day and over 3,200 breakfasts a day!  His department manages a budget of $6.3million a year and none of those funds are paid by local Ad  Velorum  Tax Payers.

Some will say that, “school districts should run like a business.”  Well, the Citrus Food & Nutritional Service Department does.  Food Services is a self-supporting department.No general fund dollars are used to fund and support the department.  Food Services do receive federal funds by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) along with a minimal amount of state funding.  All the other revenue comes from meals and ala carte sales or in other words, pizza, fries, smoothies and more.  Now don’t tell the students, but, even the ala Carte items (Snacks, etc.) meet the Alliance For A Healthier Generation guidelines so they are health conscious too.  In addition to offering students and staff breakfast and lunches, Food Services offers catering services for school functions at a competitive price.

Food Services Mission is: “To contribute to the mental, physical, emotional and social development of all students by continuously providing healthy meal choices and nutrition education.”

Food Services are continuously adding new menu items to appeal to students and their tastes.  The different school levels have different menus because what elementary kids might like high school students may not.  The most popular food items are what go onto the menus.  Students participate in taste testing and foods tested by kids must get a 75% or higher “like” in order to make it onto the menu.  See the lunch comparisons that Food Service developed to show both the nutritional and economic values of a school lunch. (see pictures)

See what $2 can buy in Food Services

Making a menu that is yummy to students and nutritious for them is an ongoing challenge.  Mr. Pistone explained that Food Services adheres to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 which established new guidelines for meals served to children through the federally funded National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.  These newer standards increased the requirements for Whole Grains, and Fruits & Vegetables served at both Breakfast and Lunch.  It established Minimum and Maximum Calorie Levels by Age Groups, and reduced Sodium.  Mr. Pistone explained that formerly they had to only meet just minimum calorie levels.

Your $2 can buy more in Food Services

Some of the challenges for Food Services are the continuously rising costs of foods and goods.  To help with this the Citrus County Schools is a member  of the district of the P.O.W.E.R. Buying Group  a group of 36 School Districts in Florida that use their purchasing power to receive the best pricing of food, beverages and supplies.  Collectively P.O.W.E.R. has purchased approximately $300,000,000 annually.  That is a lot of food!

As a result of Food Services managing itself so efficiently, Food Services pays and offsets cost of other aspects of our schools food operation.  As an example Food Services pays for significant portions of school cafeteria and kitchen remodeling.  They replaced the students’ dining tables that are also sometimes used by the staff during lunch period in the cafeteria.  If not for Food Services funding our schools would not be maintained and look as well as they do.

In  continuing  to meet the new demands for students and staff,  Food Services has now Developed a Carb-Count Data Sheet for Diabetic Children (click here to access)and are currently developing a Food Allergen Data Sheet for children with Food Allergies.

I regularly have an opportunity to sample the Food Services lunches and breakfast items, and when I can, I purchase a school lunch. They truly are yummy!   I have my favorites, like the Turkey wrap and the breakfast cookie.   Both are made of 100% whole grain too.  I encourage you to find your favorite and share with me what it is!

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Open School Board Seat Update

These days when I am not being asked about Duke Energy and its effect on our schools, the next popular topic I am asked about is the open School Board district 4 seat recently vacated.

I wanted to take this opportunity to help answer some of the questions I am asked and update you to information we have received.

Florida statue provides that when a vacancy occurs, the Governor is empowered to appoint the replacement until the next available election cycle.  Therefore Florida Governor Rick Scott will appoint the next School Board Member for District 4.  It is my understanding that that board member’s appointment would last until November 2014.  If the appointee would like to continue as a school board member they would need to qualify and run for the seat in the 2014 election and that term would be for 2 years and then run again in 2016 for the full 4 year term.

At this time approximately 10 people have already completed the application with the Florida Governor’s Appointments Office.  We understand this is only the beginning as many others are applying as well, and the Appointments Office has indicated they are early in the process.  As with all School Board Members this is a non-partisan office and as such the Governor’s appointment for this office is non-partisan.  Any one belonging or not belonging to a political party may apply.  For those interested in applying for the position you would visit the Florida Governor’s Appointments Office and fill out the Gubernatorial Appointments Questionnaire form.

Another question often asked has been about the residency requirement.  A school board member like other local constitutional officers must live in the district they would be running for.  In the school board’s case we must live in the district upon qualifying for the next election which is long before we are actually elected.   As to the appointment of constitutional officers it is a bit more complicated.  The law is not fully defined as to the residency requirement for appointments of constitutional officers.  From information I have received from the Governor’s office it is my understanding that Governors have discretion and authority to ultimately decide if the appointed is required to live in a specific district. We have received information by the Governor’s Appointments Office staff that Governor Scott will be requiring that the appointed person he selects lives in or will relocate to School Board District 4 upon appointment.

Lastly I am asked if there is anyone I have in mind for the open position.  What I hope and pray for is a person that desires and is passionate about serving the students, families and staff of Citrus County Schools.  I believe this person should be supportive of public education in our great county and state and have demonstrated that by their past work, volunteering and commitment to our students and schools.  The person should understand the roles and responsibilities of a school board member in the state of Florida.   Florida school board members are one of only a few states in the country where the school board members are constitutional officers, whose responsibilities are defined in the state’s constitution.  Florida school boards also have some of the broadest governing powers in the country.  In many parts of the country often a school board manages only two or three schools; in Citrus alone we have 21 schools. As a school board member you are one of five in a board body that must succeed for the students of Citrus County.  The person who is appointed must understand the complex and unique educational challenges of Florida’s public school system.  Being a School Board Representative is not simply a job, it is a responsibility and commitment to our students, families and schools.  I believe the type of person who will best serve is one who wants to be a school board member and be an active representative for students and schools. All of those willing I encourage you to apply.

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Transition Academy

Last Thursday was another exciting day for me as a Board Member.  I got to attend the Transition Academy and Community Based Instruction, EXPO; sponsored by Exceptional Student Education department and our S.T.A.R.T. group (Citrus County (Student Transition and Resource Team).

Citrus County Schools Transition Academy, located at Withlacoochee Technical Institute, is for students with disabilities ranging in ages from 18 to 21 who have received a special high school graduation diploma.  A Transition Academy student is supported by an ESE teacher who provides instruction in functional academics and employability skills. Students have the opportunity to enroll in career education job classes or participate in off-campus work programs. In addition to providing direct instruction, the ESE teacher provides support to other faculty members and employers participating in the work program.

At the Transition Academy the classroom is more like a lab which has different areas that the student, with the assistance of the teacher, can work on developing work and life skills in order to be more successful in the job place.

Next we traveled to Publix Supermarket in Citrus Hills.  Publix, as a corporation, is special work needs friendly and partnered with not only Citrus County Schools but other school districts and programs around the state and county including our local Key Training Centers.  At Publix of Citrus Hills General Manager Ray Parrish takes great pride in talking about his Transition Academy students.  He especially listed a number of former students who made the next powerful leap of becoming hired and are now his employees.  Mr. Parrish toured us around his store and introduced us to some of those students that are now working at his store and then let them demonstrate some of their job duties and responsibilities while working at the store.  Working side by side with the student that day was Cora Hecht who is an onsite Job Coach Instructor who does a tremendous job helping them identify and find the right skills that they could build on.  I cannot say enough positive about Publix and Mr. Parrish who have a passion for developing successful adults who contribute significantly to our community in the jobs and work they perform.   Publix is by far not the only business where our Transition Academy students work, Bells, Rehab Centers, Key Training Center, fast food restaurants, repair shops, and many more,   open their business and employment doors to our students. Ultimately many of them become future employees.

That is the goal for these students.  They want to be self-sufficient and develop their employment skills to  to be able to get a pay check and  then be able to look another person in the eyes and say, “I work for ___!

Watch the video below about Publix employee and Transition Academy alumni, Richard.

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