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Lori Walker had a quick turnaround to get her kitchen up to speed to start feeding 100 kids.
“I am opening up a kitchen that hasn’t been used in several years so I have to get supplies because it had nothing and, of course, cleaning,” she said.
Walker is the new kitchen manager at the Early Learning Center and is in charge of the entire operation. She found out Thursday morning she will have an extra person helping serve food and clean the kitchen once school starts on Monday. Until then, it’s up to her to make sure everything is prepped and ready.
As students go back to school, kitchen staff are working behind the scenes to make sure students have the food they need to make the school day easier while undergoing changes of their own.
The Early Learning Center and middle school now have new kitchen managers, and free breakfasts for all students are being offered this year.
Walker said preparing for students to come back to school is a labor of love.
“You have to love what you do in order to do this,” she said.
Along with cleaning, Walker has spent the week ordering food and planning meals for the beginning of the school year. Walker said she is planning to cook for the over 100 students at the center.
“They expect every single student that we have at the Early Learning Center to eat breakfast and lunch,” she said. “It’s a lot of kids.”
This is Walker’s fifth year working in the school district, but her first year managing a kitchen. She said preparing for this new role has been different from previous years.
“I’ve never opened a kitchen by myself before. I’ve never done anything like this,” she said.
Walker has worked at both the elementary and high schools in her time at the district. She said she is looking forward to this new opportunity.
“I’m excited for this,” she said. “I know I can do it.”
Michelle Criqui is also stepping into a new role as the middle school’s kitchen manager following Barbara Spring’s retirement. Although she worked as a baker in the middle school kitchen for five years, she didn’t realize all of the work that goes into managing it.
“Everything is a learning process right now,” she said. “It’s kind of scary, but I’m up for the challenge.”
Criqui said she has spent the week putting everything back into place and making sure her team is ready to serve.
“It’s all new to me,” she said. “It’s kind of been exciting.”
Along with preparing for the start of the school year, kitchen staff at every school are also planning for the new free breakfast program.
At July’s meeting, the school board approved a trial run to provide free breakfasts for all students across the district. If enough students are taking these meals, it could continue for future school years. For now, staff will try to figure out how many students are taking advantage of the opportunity.
With about 35% of Eudora students receiving free or reduced lunches, the district hopes this program will help eliminate the stigma around free meals and encourage more families to sign up for the free/reduced lunch program.
Students will have a choice of two options for breakfast: the main course or a bowl of cereal. The main courses will be items like a sausage biscuit or a muffin. Click here to see the August breakfast menu.
The addition of free breakfasts for all students is taking some new planning, but Food and Nutrition Director Nicole Parks is confident it will turn out well.
“It’s not too much different,” Parks said. “I think we’ll be okay.”
Parks said the hardest part about preparing for the program is making sure students know about it.
“We just need to make sure we get the kids in there to eat it,” Parks said.
Heidi Hoover, the elementary school’s kitchen manager, said the most challenging part for her is ensuring they make enough food. She estimates nearly half of elementary students will eat breakfast.
“Obviously, not all the kids are going to eat here, but probably more than last year because it’s free,” Hoover said. “So, trying to figure out how much to start with so we don’t have a lot of waste.”
Depending on the numbers after the first week, Hoover said they will adjust.
Hoover said the days before school starts consists of deep cleaning, going over roles and reviewing which students have special dietary needs. The kitchen staff also begins baking and prepping food for the first day of school.
Hoover said she is excited for the school year to start.
“I absolutely love the kids,” she said. “They always have a story, and they always have a smile on their face.”
Pam Coozennoy, the high school’s kitchen manager, agrees the students are the best part.
“Just getting to see the kids come out with their happy faces,” she said.
Coozennoy manages a team of five staff members. She said her team’s preparation has been similar to the other schools.
“It’s always enjoyable to get back to it after you’ve been off all summer,” Coozennoy said.
Monday will be the first full day for cafeteria staff to serve breakfast and lunch for all students.
Reach reporter Ryn Drummond at [email protected].
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