Dave Apthorpe, food service director at Sturgis Public Schools, recently addressed Sturgis Public Schools Board of Education regarding Taher’s nutrition guidelines.
Taher, based in Minnetonka, Minn., is the district’s partner to provide food service management for the district.
In June, the board approved continuing the contract in 2025-26.
The school’s menu is written by executive chef Mark Hudgins, based on a corporate template, Apthorpe told board members and administrators.
“The template has been vetted by our team of dietitians, ensuring that all USDA requirements are in place. We make edits based on what is seasonal, what the students are responding to, and our own ideas and suggestions.”
The menu system tracks all measured components (grain, protein, green vegetables, legumes, etc.) and produces a summary that identifies deficiencies in any of the categories, Apthorpe said.
Adjustments are made based on the analysis, and the menu is submitted for approval.
“(After) the approval process is complete, our system generates standardized recipes and production instructions to guide our team of cooks and servers,” he said.
Apthorpe said he and Hudgins “are looking forward to starting our second year, with a full year of experience behind us.”
“Our goals for this year are to continue engaging with the students and bringing more scratch-made meals made with local ingredients to the Sturgis Public Schools. We’re excited to introduce a dedicated pizza oven to the Middle School to improve the quality and consistency of that section of the menu.”
