New food services position created

Jun 29, 2021

Dartmouth School Committee members at their June 28 meeting unanimously voted to create a new school nutrition operations supervisor position to bolster the district’s food services program.

The current school nutrition director, Jeanne Sheridan, works part-time and may be looking to retire in the next few years, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Jim Kiely said.

Because she works only part-time for the school district, that “leaves some need for more day-to-day supervision,’’ he said, adding that Sheridan has addressed the need for someone to provide daily “oversight of the cafeteria under her guidance.”

The person hired would work 35 hours a week, primarily during the school year with a few extra days required. Salary would be commensurate with experience. 

The new position, Kiely said, would “provide a strong foundation for what is to come.”

Right now, because of federal support, lunches are free for all students. The position approved June 28 would be self-sustaining and add no cost to the local budget, committee member Chris Oliver said. 

The assistant superintendent also praised Sheridan for the work she’s done for the district.

Sheridan has “taken our program to the next level,’’ Kiely said. “She’s improved the quality of food for the kids.’’

He added that she and her staff did an “exemplary effort’’ during the pandemic, ensuring that all students had access to food. Pick-up of free food is still under way, he noted, with the next distribution scheduled for July 9.