The Sweetwater Union High School District Food Services Department has implemented critical new training and software improvements to address state audit findings in 10 key areas.
State auditors issued the report to the district on November 22, and the district has until Jan. 30 to submit a report that outlines remedies implemented to address the findings.
"There were a wide range of findings given to us from the state," said Superintendent Dr. Edward Brand. "Our Food Services staff have worked hard through the winter break to make some major improvements in food distribution and record keeping."
The 10 areas and how the district has addressed them are as follows:
A) Eligibility errors: in conducting a sampling of National School Lunch Program eligibility applications, the state was unable to find 15 applications. Resolution: the district found 14 of the 15 application forms in the materials provided to auditors during their visit. The auditors gave the district an additional finding, saying there were inconsistencies in the meals provided to students who may not have qualified for a free lunch.
Resolution: the district required the software developer of the meal tracking program to implement a safeguard that cross-references meals served with student eligibility on a daily basis.
B) Counting/Claiming errors: in a review at one middle school district software did not accurately reflect student eligibility provided from feeder elementary districts.
Resolution: students who were eligible still ate for free, but because the eligibility information was not in the district's software system, the district is not eligible to claim those meals. The software issue has been corrected and the district is in the process of hiring a full-time software analyst for the Food Services Department.
C) Meal Elements: auditors found that cafeteria staff were unable to distinguish the required elements for meal categories, e.g. grain, meat, dairy.
Resolution: Since October, there have been four training sessions with staff, and two more are scheduled for this month. Staff are given assessments at the end of each training to ensure understanding. Additionally, the department's two area supervisors are conducting unannounced visits to ensure proper meal elements are offered.
D) Nutrient Standards: an audit of court and community schools--which are run by the San Diego County Office of Education, but have meal service provided by the Sweetwater District--found that infants were not being given all the required meal elements. The audit also found that the meal offerings for infants/toddlers and those court and community school students were listed on the same routing form.
Resolution: Student parents will be provided with an infant/toddler lunch in a sealed sack infant lunch with all the required meal elements. Resolution: meal offerings for infant/toddlers and students will be included on different rosters.
E) Civil Rights/Children with Special Needs: The USDA requires full color, 11 x 17, red, white and blue "And Justice for All" posters be publicly visible at all school serving areas. District posters were pink.
Resolution: the required posters have been ordered.
F) Wellness Policy: the district's Wellness Policy was not posted at all school sites and the district's Wellness brochure had incorrect information.
Resolution: A revised Wellness Policy is being brought for Board of Trustees approval in January, and the Wellness brochure has been updated.
G) State Meal Mandates: In questioning a teacher at a court and community school regarding the distribution of meals, the teacher provided incorrect information.
Resolution: the district is providing the feeding schedule at all court and community schools served by the district.
H) School Breakfast: must contain four elements and students must take three of the four elements for the meal to be reimbursable.
Resolution: training of cafeteria line staff on the meal components of a reimbursable meal.
I) After School Program: students must eat their snack while participating in the program; and meal counts did not match attendance sign-in sheets. As a result, the district was not reimbursed for snacks that were eligible.
Resolution: a full-time internal auditor has been hired to monitor the district's after school programs.
J) Inconsistent information regarding National School Lunch Program applications: schools were sending inconsistent information regarding enrolling in the National School Lunch Program.
Resolution: information is being centralized from the Food Services Department to be mailed to parents.