Salida School District kitchens have been facing workforce shortage challenges similar to many area restaurants in recent years. This week that staff shortage forced creative measures in order to continue to provide high-quality meals for students and staff. And it isn’t just meals that the district must provide.
Schools are required to maintain minimum ratios of students to adults in a school building. “People don’t always realize the staffing it takes to keep schools open,” said Salida School District Communications Contact Kimberly LeTourneau.
Image Courtesy of the Salida School District.
Nutrition Services Manager Andrea Moore, made the shift in operations this week in order to keep kitchens open and maximize available staff. The Salida High School kitchen has become a command center where meals are cooked in bulk and then distributed to Longfellow Elementary School and The Crest Academy.
Staff from the District transportation team help deliver meals to the other schools and then stay to help serve and clean. Members of the School Board, District Administration, and Salida community have also been working as substitutes to support the kitchens.
While the adjustment is providing a reliable temporary fix, it is not a long-term solution. Salida Schools’ cafeterias say they always proudly serve scratch-made meals, fresh salad bars, and campus-specific menus. Current staffing limits the ability to provide that excellence in service and minimizes the team’s ability to wash reusable utensils and dishes, increasing the need for disposable solutions.
Despite focused efforts to hire and fill open positions in the School District, rising wages in similar workplaces in the community are a significant challenge for retaining employees in the kitchen, custodial, and other support positions. The Salida School District Collaborative Bargaining Team (CBT) meets tomorrow and Friday to continue discussions about pay increases for teachers and staff, including these important classified positions.
Currently, the District has openings for one kitchen manager and three hourly nutrition support staff. To learn more, visit https://salida.ss13.sharpschool.com/about_the_district/employment. Or, to apply for any available jobs posted within the Salida School District please contact Sherri Wyatt, Human Resources, at 719-530-5208 or email swyatt@salidaschools.org. Salida Schools provides benefits, and offers a four-day a week schedule.
Salida Schools serves as the second largest restaurant in Chaffee County, following the Buena Vista Correctional Complex. Last school year it served 43,016 breakfasts and 98,914 lunches.
Featured image: School foodservice. Photo by Obi – @pixel6propix on Unsplash
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