The reimbursement check isn’t the only lever a nutrition program has. Meeting students where they are around campus, offering snacks they want when they want them, and keeping tabs on eligibility matching can help you boost your average daily participation rate while diversifying cafeteria revenue. That contributes to better student outcomes and more dollars your district can invest in student opportunities.
Here’s the good news: districts frequently tell us it’s all about making a few small shifts rather than transforming your entire program. Build on what’s working and close the gaps funding slips through, like meal eligibility name or address mismatches. For many districts, that can translate to thousands of dollars each year added to the balance sheet. Some could find as much as $1 million like Knox County Schools in Tennessee.
Let’s dive in! Here are proven ways district leaders tell us they’re seeing higher daily participation and netting more revenue through both meal and snack purchases and reimbursements.
Meet Kids Where They Are with grab and go carts
Grab and go carts and kiosks reach students who wouldn’t otherwise make it through the cafeteria line. Setting them up in high traffic areas or near building entrances are great ways to boost breakfast and overall average daily participation while making sure every student has the chance to go to their first class fueled and ready to learn. At lunch time or during after-school programs, they’re a great way to expand flexible school meal service and provide snack options to students who don’t want to wait in the main cafeteria line.
Know your School Before You Stock the À La Carte Case
What sells at one school won’t necessarily be a hit at another. Production records can reveal those items students prefer across the district. Focusing on the most universally popular items can help you free space in pantries and refrigerators and prevent old stock from going bad before making it to the shelf. When it comes to trying new items, district nutrition leaders suggest ordering small quantities first to gauge popularity at one or two schools before trialing it district wide.
Boost Average Daily Participation Fast With After-School Snack Programs
An after-school snack program is one of the most straightforward ways to boost average daily participation and net more revenue: staff prepare it as part of the day’s routine, and with the right forms and training in place, it runs with minimal extra lift. An easy-to-use school nutrition POS is crucial to making it work. Plus, you’re offering students a very welcome chance to top up with energy after a busy day of learning and playing.
Evening Feeding, Preschool Feeding, and Catering Tradeoffs
Evening and preschool feeding programs can add meaningful revenue or reimbursements and meaningfully help kids, but district nutrition leaders tell us that staffing them consistently can be the limiting factor. Do staff members want the extra hours? Is there coverage if someone calls out? Does the labor cost make the program worthwhile at projected volume? Some districts use a flexible scheduling model, portioning hours according to meal times rather than keeping them on the clock all day long. Another solution can be cross-training staff. Those serving on the cafeteria line at lunch time might operate the POS when students purchase pre-packaged meals and snacks during after-school hours.
Eligibility Matching Matters More Than New Revenue Streams
Before chasing new revenue streams, it’s worth confirming every eligible student is actually being counted. A matching gap affects every meal served to every eligible student, every day, while a new program affects only the students who use it. Getting direct certification and eligibility matching right often moves more money than any single new program on this list. Confirming eligibility matching monthly can help you close those revenue gaps and keep them closed while ensuring every student gets the meals they’re entitled to receive.
Want more tips for boosting participation and bringing in more revenue?
Flexible serving can help you reach more students when and where they want to eat. From the classroom to field trips and after-school programs, this webinar covers proven ways to expand service beyond the cafeteria. Plus, you’ll find out how to run Breakfast in the Classroom without juggling stacks of paper rosters.