June 5, 2020
It's also not too late to register for SNA's Stronger Together: Back to School Series, which begins June 8. Click here for details. We hope you take advantage of these resources and remain assured that SNA will continue to develop new programs and publications to help you navigate the changes to come.
It's June and many of you are asking, "What's next?"
What will school look like in SY2020-21—and what will the impact
be on school meal operations? Some of you are expecting it will be the most
challenging year of your career, as school administrators contemplate dramatic
changes to reduce the risk of infection outbreaks until a COVID-19 vaccine or
effective treatment is available.
While there is a long, frustrating history of school
administrators failing to consider the complexities of school meal programs in
any calculus about system changes, SNA is encouraged to learn that some school
nutrition directors have been invited to participate on district and state
taskforces about reopening. In addition, we are aware of many school nutrition
teams that have initiated scenario-planning discussions of their own, so they
can be ready for whatever decisions are handed down. Still, we know that there
are many, many other school nutrition operators who don’t know where to begin.
That's why we have produced Thought Starters on
Reopening Schools for SY2020-21, a 25-page resource designed to help
SNA members "ask the right questions to prepare for the next normal."
Considering the complexity of school meal programs and the incredible disparity
in how school districts of different sizes and demographics manage these
programs, one publication can’t begin to cover all the bases.
But it will point you in the right direction to start thinking about the many
ways your operation will have to change.
A link to a free, downloadable PDF is included with this
e-blast. You can read Thought Starters on Reopening
Schools for SY2020-21 on your device or print out
a hard copy. Share it with team members and other stakeholders as desired. We
simply ask that if you share outside of the school nutrition community, credit
always be provided to the School Nutrition Association.
For future reference, this resource can be found on the COVID-19 tab of
SchoolNutrition.org.
SNA thanks Kellogg's Away From Home for
their generous support in making this resource available.