Campbell County Schools is looking to improve its food programs.
The district is hiring a food service coordinator position to help better services by providing nutritional and appealing food for students. The district also approved the purchase of a food service vehicle to aid that position, during a Campbell County Board of Education meeting on Feb. 21.
The food service department is not separate from the school district but utilizes its own revenues and expenses.
The school district operates three separate U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) child nutrition programs, offering students breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack. The food service coordinator will provide support for these programs by ensuring students’ nutritional needs are met and developing new menus and recipe ideas for all grade levels.
Food services are allocating $350,000 for the position that will span over a five-year period. The role will be reevaluated at the start of the 2029 fiscal year.
Campbell County Schools Superintendent Shelli Wilson said the department also takes advantage of free products.
“We have a large walk-in freezer and cooler that they have purchased over the McCormick Center, and the Food and Nutrition Service Department has accepted today over 85,000 additional free commodity products,” Wilson said.
Wilson said they are responsible for transporting the items in bulk to take advantage of the free products. The district currently uses Chevrolet Suburbans that have been “put to full use,” Wilson said — raising the issue of needing a new method of transport.
“They were allowed to make a second recommendation which is the purchase of a food service vehicle, not to exceed $30,000,” Wilson said. “They would be able to take advantage of all of the free food offerings, thus bringing more money into the program.”
At the school board meeting, Campbell County School Board member Kailyn Campbell questioned how the district could find a truck or Suburban for $30,000.
Wilson said they would be purchasing a used vehicle and have found several options that meet the criteria for under $30,000.
“If we’re going to get a used vehicle, would it be better, just spend more money,” Campbell said. “I just think that’s a very, very low number, even for a used vehicle.”
Campbell County School Board member Joshua Perkins said he agreed with Campbell. He asked Wilson to return to the board if they could not find something they were comfortable with; instead, the board decided to modify the budget from $30,000 to $50,000. The food services director said they could accommodate an extended budget for the vehicle out of their funds.
