SFUSD Salad Bar Program Evaluation
Posted on | October 23, 2009 | 2 Comments
The SFUSD salad bar program was created in response to several high priority issues. The program was funded by the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families and the Mayor’s Office. Salad bars were rolled out at 25 schools during the 2007-2008 school year, including eight elementary schools, six middle schools, and six high schools. An evaluation of the salad bar program was conducted recently, as a joint effort across several agencies and non-governmental organizations.
For those interested in learning more about SFUSD’s salad bar program, the project evaluation can be downloaded here.
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2 Responses to “SFUSD Salad Bar Program Evaluation”
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January 13th, 2010 @ 2:51 pm
You do not expand further regarding the salad bar in schools. Only six middle and six high schools received them? Our school would love this AND parents would be there to assist gratis so that there would be no need for hiring or paying extra for lunch help. Who decides who gets a salad bar? Why not rotate this program so that all schools can experiance the difference?
January 14th, 2010 @ 1:04 pm
Thank you for your inquiry regarding bring salad bars to more schools. At this point, SFUSD has salad bars at 37 schools, and interest in salad bars is growing throughout the District. However, for a variety of reasons, the administration and Student Nutrition Services have prioritized the roll-out of the new Point-of-Sale system for this academic year (in addition to other major projects). There are no plans to expand the salad bar program this year. SNS hopes to be able to focus attention on salad bars in 2010-2011, once the POS system is successfully in place.
In terms of process, the best person to approach at your school regarding the possibility of a salad bar would be your principal, who will then work out details with the SNS department. Various logistical and regulatory details will need to be worked out (such as having enough space for the salad bar itself, adequate refrigeration, proper # of sinks for washing produce, etc) before a salad bar could be set up. Funding will also need to be available – the initial investment into salad bars came from the Mayor’s office and has been spent.
It is also worth noting that due to contractual structures, the salad bar is a part of the full meal served to children through the school lunch program, and provides two required meal components (fruit/vegetables). Unfortunately, the salad bar is NOT available a la carte to children or adults; the full meal must be taken.
Finally, in response to your offer of parent volunteers, SNS Director Ed Wilkins says that “The salad bar program is designed to be low maintenance; however, some additional labor is required. Volunteer support is great, but should be limited to line control and cafeteria supervision to avoid issues with the union (this is needed at all elementary sites, salad bar or not).”
I would encourage you to discuss this with your principal and begin exploring options for next year!