Her financial management isn t limited to expenses she also focuses on income. For example, she implemented a new menu and serving system that boosted participation at the district s 16 high schools from 30 percent to 50 percent. Today, participation continues to swell as each school now serves between 65 percent and 85 percent of its students. These changes didn t add labor and actually lowered our food cost. Not only is the new menu more popular, but Johnson s staff has reduced fat content from 40 percent to 31.5 percent and continues to strive to meet the national standard of 30 percent.
Technology also is emphasized in East Baton Rouge.
From her days as director, Johnson has stressed computerization as a key to improved efficiency and accuracy. And those systems get a lot of use. The old punch card system for reimbursable meals is long gone. Now, all students pay for lunch through a credit-debit system. Johnson estimates the computerized system saves teachers 30 minutes a day, or 10.5 days per year.