Distribution Issues Leading to Food Service Concerns for Jasper Schools

By Kris Norton

Jasper – Manufacturing and distribution issues are leading to school lunch concerns for Greater Jasper Consolidated Schools.

Jasper Food Services Director Katie Sherman says that finding out which products will come via delivery truck has turned into a “wait-and-see situation”.

“We’ll play those by ear and see what shows up and what doesn’t,” Sherman said. “Unfortunately we’re kind of in a situation where we’re not really warned if we’re not going to get something. We don’t know that we’re going to be shorted – it’s just not there.”

Administrators first began to notice issues within the distribution process in late Spring of 2021. Since, each layer of the process has been hampered by COVID protocol, illness, and employment difficulties being seen nationwide, Sherman detailed.

“There’s several layers to it,” Sherman said. “If you go all the back to the beginning with the manufacturer part of it - production lines are down, could be due to COVID, and social distancing, quarantines, employment challenges – so, production’s just not where  it was prior to COVID.”

Distribution services are currently up against the same complications.

According to Sherman, on average, the high school may stock up to a week of food reserves; elementary schools may be able to keep up to two weeks.

Currently, per Sherman, the high school may have three to four days of food in the building with deliveries scheduled for both Monday and Tuesday. What may arrive and what may be left off of those trucks will be “wait-and-see”.

As the 2021-2022 school year has recently begun, the staff has been forced to make tweaks while staying USDA compliant, though additional complications could potentially lead to a dire scenario.

“Fortunately, so far, we’ve been able to put some things together and still have a meal and still remain compliant with our regulations with the USDA and our meal pattern,” Sherman said. “If we really, really get into a bind, if things don’t improve and we are in a situation where we can’t even come up with anything, there’s a potential school would have to be closed.”