The intended use of the kitchens at all East Valley schools is to prepare, cook, & serve meals to our students! Our meals are required to meet the USDA standards for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.

 Our hope is to continue offering our students safe school meals & ensure that our equipment remains in good working order. Safety is very important to us & injuries may be avoided if our kitchens & equipment are not used without supervision & training. We want to serve our students but we must follow guidelines, rules, & recommendations set by the Yakima Health Department, OSPI, UDSA , & the School District. These important rules are in place to ensure we are able to continue offering our students safe school meals.

 Who needs to request access to the kitchen? Everyone! All district staff members, administrators, & anyone entering the kitchen with the intention of using the kitchen or equipment for any reason. If your intention is to use the kitchen or equipment for any reason you must request use.

 How do I request use of the kitchen as a district employee? Two weeks before you would like access to the kitchen or kitchen equipment you need to contact Stephine Burkett, Food Service Director at [email protected]. Note: The cooks in the kitchens are not authorized to provide access or approve requests for kitchen use!

Using one of the district kitchens requires that a district food service staff member is present at all times. Two week advance notice is necessary to find a food service staff member willing to be present while you use the kitchen. The building will need to pay the food service team members hourly wages including any overtime pay. If no food service team members are available the kitchen must not be used.

What if an outside group would like to use the kitchen? If an outside would like access to the kitchen they can pick up the facility use request form at any of the schools, or the district office.

Does the Food Service department have hot carts I can borrow to keep food warm in without accessing the kitchen? Yes, we do have two hot carts that we are able to loan to you. These carts may be used away from the kitchen area. We will need at least a few days advance notice to get them to you.

Why is access limited to kitchens at East Valley Schools & why is a food service team member required to be present? Limiting access & having a food service team member present may be inconvenient but it is very necessary! Please see the reasons below & if you still have questions please let me know.

1. Commercial equipment is very expensive & can be dangerous- Having a trained food service staff member present will protect our equipment & protect untrained people from being hurt while trying to use it. Replacing or repairing kitchen equipment is very expensive and may take weeks or months. This would not allow us to serve our students or may result in transporting food from different locations. Having a food service staff member present reduces the risk of improper use of equipment & injury.
2. We receive food from the State and funds from the Federal Government- This requires the District to ensure that our foods are kept in a secure area, in proper temperatures, free from theft, & tampering. Keeping our kitchens locked up & limiting access may reduce the risk of our foods being exposed to viruses, bacteria, unsafe temperatures, stolen, or tampered with.
3. Foods entering or leaving the kitchen must meet certain criteria- Foods served from our kitchens must be prepared in our kitchens. Or, brought in from another licensed facility/kitchen that receives regular health inspections. Restricting food brought in from unsupervised environments may reduce the risk of transmission of communicable diseases such as Salmonella, E. coli, Hepatitis A etc...
4. Proper food temperatures, hygiene, clean up, & sanitation is required- We must comply with Washington Health code rules. Following these rules may reduce the risk of food borne illness...Salmonella, E.coli, Hepatitis A etc... Food Service team members are trained on these requirements. Having a food service team member present may help reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses.

All use of East Valley kitchens must be pre-approved by the Food Service Director.

If you have any questions please contact Stephine Burkett, Food Service Director at [email protected]