South Orangetown Central School District

CHILD NUTRITION

The South Orangetown Central School District (SOCSD) has developed a meal service hybrid model ensuring that students receiving instruction in-person and via remote learning receive healthy and nutritious breakfast and lunch meals as pre-ordered, and in compliance with NYS Child Nutrition regulations and New York State Education Department guidance.

Considerations for Reopening

SOCSD considered the various options for the preparation and delivery of meals to students using the most effective manner available given the 50/50 instructional model chosen, and to pivot easily should the District be mandated to go to 100% remote learning at any time during the school year.

Other considerations:

• Consider whether it is feasible to use buses to distribute meals to students.
• Updating standard operating procedures for sanitation of school kitchens, cafeterias, food warehouses, and central production kitchens.
• Training all employees on health and safety protocols, including correct application of disinfectants and maintaining physical distancing.
• Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces frequently touched by students during meal service, including tables, chairs, carts used in transportation, and point-of-service touch pads or no contact point-of-service methods.

Further, the Food Service Management Company must submit their approved NYS Forward Safety Plan that includes COVID-19 related safety protocols, including but not limited to: screening of employees for COVID-19 related symptoms, cleaning and sanitizing kitchen work areas and common cafeteria spaces, training program for staff, and oversight provided to ensure compliance with all applicable NYSED, CDC, and Department of Health regulations and guidance.

Safety and Sanitation

For health and hygiene promotion, South Orangetown CSD will:

• Designate a COVID-19 food coordinator that will ensure compliance with all applicable rules, regulations, and guidance from CDC, NYSED, and Department of Health.
• Provide professional development to teach and reinforce hand washing, and use of a mask or cloth face covering while working on school campus (see Health and Safety section).
• Have adequate supplies for both staff and students including soap, hand sanitizer, and tissues.
• Posting signs on how to stop the spread of COVID-19 including proper hygiene, proper hand washing, social distancing.
• Cleaning and sanitizing of school kitchens and cafeteria spaces will follow district procedure as outlined in the Health & Safety section of the Reopening Plan.

Meal Service

For meal preparation, South Orangetown CSD will:

• Ensure gloves, masks, disposable aprons, and other supplies are readily available and worn by all employees and contracted workers.
• Promote fresh healthy menu options that are individually plated meals that are pre-portioned and pre-wrapped, and in compliance with USDA and NYS Child Nutrition regulations.
• Use a pre-ordering system in order to plan, prepare, and deliver pre-packaged meals to students.
• Reorganize workspaces for proper physical distancing during meal preparation and meal service.
• Adjust employee shifts to minimize the number of staff in the kitchen.

For onsite meal service, South Orangetown CSD will:

• Collaborate with Building Administrators on the use of cafeterias, classrooms, other large common areas, and outside areas for meal service. Meals will be distributed by Food Service Staff to designated spaces.
• Encourage physical distancing through increased spacing, small groups, and limited mixing between groups, if feasible.
• Stagger mealtimes to allow for cleaning between meal services and to serve students in smaller groups.
• Provide at least 6 feet of physical distancing between groups or tables by increasing table spacing, removing tables, marking tables as closed, and/or providing barriers/dividers on tables.
• Provide physical guides, such as tape on floors or sidewalks and signage on walls to ensure that students remain at least 6 feet apart in lines or while waiting for seating.
• Suspend use of self-service buffets for food and condiments and no line service will be permitted. All meals will be prepared and packaged to students based on a pre-ordering system.
• Install physical barriers, such as sneeze guards and partitions, at POS and other areas where maintaining physical distance of 6 feet is difficult.
• Ensure cleaning of every table between groups of students and/or meal service times.
• Utilize my payments plus to make payments for student meals. No cash will be accepted. make payments for student meals. No cash will be accepted.
• Students who bring in meals to schools must do so in a sealed, closed container, following school rules for meals, including those associated with students with nut allergies.
• Strongly discourage sharing of food items.

For offsite meal service, South Orangetown CSD will:

• In addition to the above, pre-ordered, pre-packaged meals will be delivered and/or distributed to students covering five breakfasts and five lunches for the following week, and
• Offering pick up by parents and/or guardians, including drive-through and curbside pick-up options. All meals must still be pre-ordered.
• Assess whether there are students who are unable to access school meal distribution options and identify ways to address these gaps working collaboratively with our Family Engagement Center.

Food Service Staff Training

All Food Service Staff will be required to complete training as outlined for SOCSD employees, including COVID related training. Further, Food Service Management Company must perform training on topics associated with proper food handling and preparation, proper hygiene, proper hand washing and hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfecting work surfaces, equipment and tools, and other COVID related prevention training, and submit documentation of such training to the Executive Director of Finance & Management Services.

Additional Resources
NYSED Child Nutrition
USDA
Institute of Child Nutrition
Health NY
CDC