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At 11 a.m. on a recent Friday, the kitchen at Amador Valley High School hummed with activity. Chef-coordinator Steve Seligman oversaw the bustle which began at 6:30 a.m. to prepare lunch for 1,100 hungry students.

Staff bantered as they poured spicy sauce over oven-baked, whole grain-breaded boneless chicken wings. Others dished out grass-fed beef strips marinated and cooked in ginger and garlic sauce into the Japanese steakhouse salad containers which await edamame, more veggies, a bun, and house-made dressing. 

That day’s driver of the Pleasanton Unified School District electric food truck loaded hot and cold meals onto their respective temperature-controlled shelves. She will soon serve the meals to Village High School students.

In her office next to the kitchen, Sarah Kimiecik, director of child nutrition services (CNS) for the district, poured over her $7 million budget and audit requirements for various agencies.

She oversees 60 employees and meets regularly with her leadership team which includes chef Seligman, two nutrition specialists and an operations coordinator. Her team prepares on average 6,500 lunches daily for students at 15 Pleasanton schools.

The team develops daily breakfast and lunch menus for the three school levels: elementary, middle, and high school. CNS plans 90 days in advance for fall, winter and spring menus. These changes target availability of seasonal items and students’ evolving appetite for hot or cold foods.

As Kimiecik reviews the 18 menus over the school year, she must consider supply schedules, weekly nutrition regulations, and staffing levels with all employees certified on training and safety-sanitation standards.

Behind the kitchen door

Kimiecik is uniquely qualified for the job. 

With a Bachelor of Science in dietetics and marketing, she has worked in CNS management at other districts and has experience as a facilities support coordinator for a national restaurant chain. With two years’ service at PUSD, Kimiecik has begun implementing her mission to upgrade food quality with more made from scratch cooking.

Knowledge of both student satisfaction with the food and back of the kitchen operations is essential for Kimiecik’s role. Her budget for PUSD is self-supporting, meaning she cannot make a profit and must allocate costs to break even. CNS receives about $5.60 per lunch meal. About 40% covers food and the remaining 60% supports labor, kitchen and serving equipment, and commodities.

At PUSD, the budget for CNS is reimbursed by a combination of 40% from the free breakfast and lunch programs provided by California Department of Education’s Universal Meals Program since the 2022-23 school year and 60% from federal U.S. Department of Agriculture funds under the National School Lunch Act established in 1946.

Kimiecik manages 10 major supplier contracts. The top expenditure of $1 million is allocated for commodities such as rice and fresh produce which the federal government supplies as part of the Omnibus Farm Bill. The massive procurement network of the Department of Defense handles the complex distribution of these products that are 100% American-grown or produced.

Free meals do not require formal application. If parents or caregivers receive government aid such as SNAP, registration for free meals is automatic. If not, the district encourages lower-income households to register for free meals to receive additional benefits.

The entree selections at Amador Valley High School’s Court Cafe serving lines, whether Hawaiian pizza or chicken salad from the grab-and-go speed line or one of the hot items on the cafe line like the chicken shawarma wrap or veggie chili mac, fulfill the nutrition standards and two of the three parts of the free meal, a whole grain element and meat or meat alternative.

As teens swipe their student ID without a fruit or vegetable for their meal, the clerk politely asks them to take fruit or hand them one. Clerks cannot complete the required government record-keeping without the complete free meal.

When asked if students buy a second lunch for $5 with their MySchoolBucks spending account, senior Catherine Gao said, “Maybe some buffed athletes do, but we barely have time to get through the line and eat in 30 minutes.” 

About half of AVHS students bring their lunch; some also grab a free lunch. Parents can bring food at lunch to hand to their students over the Activities gate.

On the lunch line

In 2022, chef Seligman also arrived at PUSD with a broad culinary background. Trained at the Culinary Institute of America, he worked as a chef, foodservice consultant, and CNS coordinator at other East Bay districts. For 23 years, he owned Savvy Savories which sold grab-and-go vegetarian and vegan sandwiches and salads to supermarkets such as Whole Foods.

Seligman welcomed the opportunity to bring more plant-forward foods to PUSD. With the team, he established daily vegetarian options. A daily salad bar, chipotle black bean bowls and vegan hot dogs are on the high school menus.

Higher reimbursements from the free lunch programs enabled the team to serve more quality ingredients. An advocate for food with clean labels, Seligman purchases products with no artificial ingredients, preservatives or nitrates except those naturally occurring. 

Rather than serving hot dogs with added nitrates and wheat or soy fillers, Seligman menus all-natural Angus beef hot dogs. He also sources meat like the steakhouse salad strips from regenerative farms which tend the soil carefully, like food labeled organic, but also work to improve all environmental impact of their production.

CNS procures more local foods. Seligman sources hamburger beef from a Marin County ranch. The non-processed (whole muscle) chicken tenders are from Tracy. Bonami Bakery in Pittsburg supplies banh mi buns and ciabatta bread. Dos Pisano’s in Concord makes the tamales; Alicia’s Los Mayas in Hayward prepares burritos.

With his experience, Seligman understands student preferences and receives few complaints.

“Kids that are OG (‘old school’) like burgers. All kids like veggies and fruit cut up. Younger students prefer familiar comfort foods. With more exposure to global foods and broader palates, middle and high schoolers often crave garlic and spice,” he said.

Since pizza is such an important offering, the CNS team sought student input. Elementary students chose Garlex pizza; older students selected Dominos. Spicy chicken sandwiches, cheeseburgers, and turkey bacon cheddar panini are top selections, added Seligman.

In addition to the regular menu, CNS serves 40 meals daily to students who have applied for alternate meals due to medically diagnosed disabilities related to food. These meals require special handling to avoid cross-contamination during preparing and handling.

Students serve up suggestions

At the busy courtyard, groups gathered to chat and eat lunch. Several students were eager to report the accomplishments of the nutrition panel of the PUSD Student Interschools Action Panel (SIAP) supported by CNS.

Like chefs proposing menu changes to a restaurant’s owners, the panel presented a proposal to CNS with ingredient lists, costs and nutrition details for overnight oats as a breakfast item which now cycles onto the menu.

SIAP member Maya Mithani, a junior, noted that they also proposed a bibimbap rice bowl. After taste testing with the panel, CNS developed popular versions with beef or tofu, kimchi, and house-prepared, soy-marinated hard-boiled eggs. When they requested banh mi, CNS developed a recipe with house-pickled vegetables and fresh herbs.

The group agreed that small changes matter. 

The new baked, whole grain-breaded onion rings served with the chicken wings have more crunch and oniony flavor because chopped onions replaced slices in the batter which can become soggy and stringy. Another panel member, junior Smriti Mehta, added, “Other veggie options like the coleslaw with the steakhouse salad taste better.”

Noting that avocados are expensive, Mithani appreciates the nachos entrée with a substantial portion of house-made guacamole. Overall, Mithani said, “By adding layers of flavor for all entrées, the chef makes them more filling and satisfying.”

What happens to leftover food? With an eye on reducing organic waste, two students at AVHS and their parents volunteer weekly to pick up shelf-stable items and extra fresh produce to deliver to Open Heart Kitchen in Livermore.

Teachers and admin staff rarely purchase adult meals. AVHS teacher-librarian Erik Scherer is an exception. Appreciative of the increase in scratch cooking, he hustles over to the Court Cafe to buy chicken mole with rice. Along the way, Scherer sees more students eating meals than tossing them out.

Back in the kitchen, Seligman strives for improvements to the food service: “Our goal is to please our student customer base with nutritious, wholesome and delicious food while mentoring our team and also satisfying parents, the district and government bodies.”

Culinary updates from Dublin and San Ramon Valley school districts

Dublin Unified School District and PUSD are similar in student population, number of schools, and CNS staffing. 

Like Kimiecik in Pleasanton, DUSD director of CNS Maly Pra also aims to upgrade food quality. Pra joined DUSD in July with experience in CNS, a BS in nutrition and dietetics, an MBA and registered dietician certification.

Early in his career, chef supervisor Rodrigo Vazquez interned at El Bulli, regarded as the world’s best restaurant before closing in 2011. Later, he served as head chef at a Walnut Creek restaurant and East Bay hospital. 

Though Vazquez joined CNS less than a year ago, he has brainstormed with the team to develop new recipes, upgrade existing dishes and introduce more international flavors such as chicken teriyaki noodles and carne asada bowls.

“Our biggest achievement,” Vazquez said, “is transitioning the high school lunch menu from 90 percent processed food to 85% from scratch cooking.”

There are differences between Pleasanton and Dublin school lunches. The DUSD high schools have open campuses, which enable high school students who drive to leave at lunchtime. Unlike PUSD with a separate menu for middle school students, DUSD offers one menu for kindergarten through 8th grade and another for the high schools.

The menu content differs for high school students. 

Pizza is on DUSD menus once a week while PUSD lists it daily. While PUSD offers seven rotating entrees per week with five daily items such as cheeseburgers and chicken tenders with waffles, DUSD rotates two weekly options such as gyro beef bowl with veggies and chicken birria with six daily sandwich or salad options.

Emerald High School

Dublin’s Emerald High School, open since August, is the first new comprehensive high school in Alameda County since Foothill High School half a century ago. 

The design for the lunchroom is innovative and architecturally stunning with a high ceiling, huge modern fans, couches, high bistro seating and long tables. Reminiscent of a college dining and gathering locale, Emerald named the large area the Student Union. The large room abuts the Performing and Visual Arts Center auditorium, and Admin Activities Center. 

Students snake through the lunch lines to the four identical serving stations at the Food Court.

A popular daily item is the crunchables hummus and pita box. Emerald kitchen lead Sherrie Hardeman described the contents, “We cut a colorful mix of seasonal fresh vegetables daily and add hummus and local pita. We also serve a ‘special’ meal not on the published menu such as ramen chicken salad.”

Dublin Culinary Academy

Dublin High School offers three Academy programs focused on advanced studies: culinary arts, engineering design and health sciences. Established 15 years ago as the first academy, the Culinary Academy has a storied history.

Over the years, students in the advanced catering course have sold food for community events, politicians, and local groups. Academy graduates became chefs at venues such as Wente Vineyards and Marriott hotels. Students find jobs at restaurants like Cheesecake Factory and Denica’s.

From humble beginnings with three course offerings, director Leena Hung and two staff members lead three culinary and two catering courses to 450 students. All courses are University of California A-G accredited classes. Students who complete the advanced catering course are eligible for UC Honors or college credits at Diablo Valley College. 

Dublin High School’s ASB (associated student body) organization handles the academy’s accounting functions. Outstanding students may receive scholarships from the earned funds.

With a BS in dietetics and an associate degree in culinary arts, Hung worked as a chef and then food stylist. During an advanced catering class, Hung kept an eye on the half-dozen workstations where students were working two paid jobs: a taco bar for a Cub Scouts pack and a fundraiser with the theme “Denim and Diamonds” for the PFSO (parent faculty student organization).

Samantha Friday, a senior, smoothed Swiss meringue frosting on her caramel cake made as a “Southern vibe” auction item for the PFSO event. She planned to decorate the cake with more drips and dollops of caramel on top and add toffee crumbles for texture. 

When asked about a career as a chef, Friday said, “I want to study environmental engineering. But I may make cakes as a sideline.”

Assisting at the taco bar station, junior Sean McGinley also has no ambition to be a chef: “Though I have no interest in making cakes, cooking is my passion.”

At SRVUSD

Behind the scenes, San Ramon Valley Unified School District has enhanced school meals by implementing a program to support the CNS staff who have a full plate of daily tasks. 

SRVUSD is the first California school district to partner with Brigaid, a company that helps improve foodservice at large institutions. The company’s name resembles “chefs’ brigade” — another term for kitchen staff. 

Since 2022, the SRVUSD partnership with Brigaid’s professional chefs has enhanced student meals with more creative and cooked from-scratch food through training and support for the CNS team.

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