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Keith McCord reportingParents, how much do your kids pay for school lunches? Do you know what they're really eating every day during the lunch period? Three Utah schools have just implemented a new system that tracks what kids are eating and how much it costs.
It's the daily lunch rush in the cafeteria at St. John the Baptist Elementary and Middle Schools and Juan Diego High in Draper. Two weeks ago, the school campus implemented a new, high-tech system.
kids put their finger on a scanner; their photo comes up on the screen, their menu choices are entered, and they're on their way! It's quick and accurate.
Molly Dumas, with Juan Diego High School, said, "So we're running through 700 high schoolers and 600 middle schoolers, or another 700 elementary school kids. That's a lot of kids to run through in an hour and a half."
And no cash is involved! Parents put money into their children's school account, and the amount is deducted automatically. The system has improved accountability and eliminated human error.
Systems administrator, Eric Browning, says, "We had a problem with kids using other kids' numbers. And parents would say, 'You charged my kid twice or three times.'"
The schools are also saving money because the system helps control inventory and eliminate waste.
"Sometimes it's hard to tell what kids are going to eat and what they're not. But we want to make sure we have enough of the right foods so that we're not running out of salad," Dumas said.
This system doesn't just help the school monitor the food inventory, but parents can also go online and actually see what their kids are eating. From cookies, bottled water, desserts and entrees, this Web site tracks every meal.
Lynelle Williams says she checks every week or so on what her 10th grade daughter has been eating. "I love knowing what my children are eating. I'm able to monitor that, and that's a discussion in the car on the way home," she said.
Students we spoke with said they don't mind that Mom and Dad are checking up on them.
The system cost about $20,000 and is thought to be the only system being used in a school setting in Utah. It's only been in use for about two weeks, but the school administrators say it's already cut down on waste food.
