NEW UPDATE: SAUSD Superintendent Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana just sent me an email indicating that:
“The Santa Ana Unified School District is looking into programs that will allow us to donate excessive food that we are not able to use because of over ordering or food that was not used in production. We are in communication with other districts such as Los Angeles Unified that have similar donation programs.”
The District is committed to continuing best practices that ensure that the investments made to our schools are utilized in an efficient and effective manner that best serves our students.”
UPDATE: SAUSD Superintendent Thelma Melendez de Santa Ana has responded to the charges raised in this post, via email. As always we thank the Superintendent for her prompt response and feedback. Here is her response:
After meeting with our Deputy Superintendent, who oversees our Food Services team, he informed me of the following in response to your inquiry:
“We have been diligently working with the food services department to review and identify operational efficiencies and improvements in the areas of food safety, food costs, and forecasting of student demand. These best practices are designed to build in accountability, identify and reduce waste, and ensure food safety.
One of the practices implemented just after the school year began is a daily “discard log”, which records the types and quantity of food that is discarded in an attempt to track and reduce waste. Although the District has adopted measures to improve food service operations, it is fully aware that there are still opportunities for improvement.
The District is committed to continuing best practices that ensure that the investments made to our schools are utilized in an efficient and effective manner that best serves our students.”
The OC Weekly was sent pictures of hundreds of pounds of lettuce rotting at a warehouse belonging to the Santa Ana Unified School District.
Their source Told them that “all of this lettuce would eventually be destroyed. The amount of food the district destroys is so much, according to said sources, that officials are sending rotted food to individual schools so they can dispose the boxes themselves.”
How did this happen? How did our elected School Board members ignore this? There are two incumbents running for re-election right now – Jose Alfredo Hernandez and Rob Richardson. What are their excuses? And what about Roman Reyna? He is currently an SAUSD Trustee and he is running for Ward 5 on the Santa Ana City Council. Either he did not know about this or he knew and didn’t give a damn. In either case he has egg on his face.
And there may be more to this story. A mother at John Muir Fundamental Elementary told me tonight that kids are served milk in zip lock baggies. Why do kids at other schools get milk cartons? How is this hygienic?
I took a look at John Muir’s record on the O.C. Health Agency’s Food Violation website and here is what I found:
Service Date, ROUTINE INSPECTION: 9/20/2011
Click here to read that inspection report.
And click here to look up your kid’s school’s health violation record.
I also looked up the SAUSD itself, and here is what I found:
ROUTINE INSPECTION: 9/21/2012
So who is to blame? Well, for starters, an SAUSD administrator named Mark Chavez is their Director of Food Services. You can email him here: mark.chavez@sausd.us. His Administrative Secretary is named Lupita Vidal-Ramirez. You can call her at (714) 431-1909 and email her at lupita.vidal@sausd.us.
A commenter on the OC Weekly article also wrote that “This is not the only waste the district has. The board and Sacramento should look into the Warehouse Scanners recently purchase at the 750 N. Fairview warehouse site. The Scanners cost taxpayers over $250,000.00 purchase from DATA SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL, INC. (DSI inc.) these scanners have not been use at all. The board needs to investigate this matter and put people accountable before the pictures and data is submitted to the media. This is one of the biggies waste SAUSD has try to hide and cover up!!”
What a mess. Take a look at the SAUSD’s administrator directory. There are still too many holdovers left from the previous administration. They need to answer for this debacle.
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why not send this stuff to the grain project for composting? wasted food in a large commercial food operation doesn't seem like a scandal but rather an ordering problem to be adjusted, but throwing away all that compost is a travesty. The baggies are standard at many schools but they are not "ziplocs" but rather these https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ie=UTF-8&ion=1#hl=en&sclient=psy-ab&q=milk%20in%20plastic%20bags&oq=&gs_l=&pbx=1&fp=c9f1cba9759f1241&bpcl=35277026&ion=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.r_qf.&biw=1275&bih=666
What we don't know is what else are they tossing?
As for the milk, I can't imagine that bags are better than cartons. That seems odd and why do some schools have cartons and others these bags?
Perhaps most disturbing is the health violations. No excuse for that!
My opinion...The state needs to audit the food service department...all u gotta do is review their usage vs. the money spent via the invoices.
You will see how much money has been spent on food and how much food has actually been served..you can't alter your student counts..and you can't alter you ADA.
Resources informed us that allegedly in August 2012, Mark Chavez had too many projects going on...no floors in our central kitchen, no dishwasher...
And, since the 3 well sink was taken out...we were not scrapping dishes but hosing them off with a garden hose..corn, beans,rice everything just running off into our regular draining system...
No proper sinks and no proper chemical sanitation either..!!!! Someone please investigate this allegation...if a restaraunt did this..they would be closed donw 4sure..this is just nasty in my opinion.....
Addendum..allegedly.....we were hosing the dishes off outside...outdoors..working on our tans...
Rumor has it that after this last STATE CRE/SMI Reaudit...(when the State just came back)that there was some MULA $$$$ in the sum of MILLIONS of dollars... that had 2b paid back....is this true? Inquiring food service workers would like to know.....heha!
Also, rumor has it that Mr. Bishop is leaving? Before his contract ends? AMAZING!!!
Someone please shed some light on the truth??? BUT, Mark Chavez is still over seeing our food service department????
These are all allegations..but we would like to know the truth....
Rumor has it that the food Police is in d House at SAUSD…4those of u that dont know…. thats d USDA dept…will they uncover d.. truth about our lettuce…d Carrots…. dBroccoli ?? Stay tuned…..
Mr. Libertarian Admin. The reason our superficial Capitalism Brainwashed Society has not found solutions to this kind of food waste dilemma is that it obstructs with the whole Capitalistic "Supply and Demand" structure, Doofus. Capitalism needs to strangle and hoard supply, in order to inflate the controlled value of a given product or commodity.
If the basic goods and materials that would naturally serve to fulfill our subsistence were made too easily accessible, the result would be that it would limit the ability of parasitic brokers and distributors to profit from the calculated manipulation and control of the would-be more efficient access to foods or recyclables. (Products and byproducts.) From the "Grasshopper Manifesto".
ALLEGEDLY-Mark Chavez is still at the helm at SAUSD..despite the fact that he only has like 4 years expirience in school food service..none of which consist of being a leader in a large district...
Mark Chavez went to Hamburger College and worked for Mc Donalds and now over sees a 33 Million dollar budget....he cust our staffing and what used to take 4 managers to lead at the helm..now he has 8 and we still cant get it right!
Political favors? In our opinion, SAUSD obviouly does not care what it voters or families of students think..we hope the new Asst. Director will be the new Director....just like what SAUSD did to Jan when little Napoleon came along....
Should the school board fire the new superintendent?
No. But many of her underlings need to go. She should have cleaned house when she started.
Investigate the district on how Mark Chavez with such lack of expirience landed this position? Everyone, please read the: ocweekly
Yes, great comments at the OC Weekly.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND VOICES TO BE HEARD-OUR FEELINGS AND THOUGHT....OPINIONS...Mark Chavez you can try and be nice now...but we have seen how you have treated other managers...also the new field supervisor job...has that been promised to someone already?
The perception is that this position has already been promised to someone of your choice....
Allegedly the position of the office spcialist was promised to the employee who was a long term sub....is he going to be our new field supervisor?
This is not right....we have other people who have been here longer and have more expirience...why is this happening?
Mark Chavez..u did not even pay 4our meals at the recent food service show...BUT u sure did pay 4ur top dog managers...again tax payers $ but U treat the hard working managers like dirt!! Not cool!! We are the face of ur food service department..SHAME ON U!!
Our opinions r being voices..but since our opinions dont matter...I guess its ok if we make them known!
Here is my opinion, In our district we have lost great people, great kitchen managers, other managers, former directors, etc. We have seen so much talent LEAVE us..for reasons UNKNOWN 2us....BUT, where is the JUSTICE?
Mark Chavez is not being held responsible here...and that just ain't right!! My opinion..my thoughts...just wanted to share...there seems 2b no justice...or is it all about who u know?
Rumor has it Mr. Bishop may be leaving??? But, Mark Chavez still remains as the Food Service Director? What is going on??? Please help SAUSD food services!!!!
Milk in a baggy? That ain't right. Can you get us a photo of that? Weird.
This really comes as no surprise. The SAUSD, like its parent state, has little grasp on economics and how to make use of what it has, but it still asks for more. In addition to the waste exhibited here, they're G.O. rating was dropped down a notch by Moody's last month.
http://www.finanzen.net/nachricht/anleihen/Santa-Ana-Unified-School-District-CA-Moody-s-Downgrades-Santa-Ana-Unified-School-District-CA-s-G-O-Rating-to-Aa3-from-Aa2-2046438
I am not sure if it’s true but a reliable source told me that at McFadden School, home of the “Scotties”, the students eat Fish and Chips served with salt and vinegar and wrapped in the daily newspaper!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr_OpFxCx-A
Does this waste , health violations or more important the question of none delivery to the SAUSD STUDENTS . Is this a similar occurrance at other local school districts.?
If not why in Santa Ana only? Is it demographics?
I am told the children are fed expired food too.
No, this is unacceptable! But,in my opinion when you hire a Food Service Director that has little if any expirience..what do you expect?
Allgedly, Mark Chavez is a criminal justice major, take a look at all the comments on : ocweekly...you will find a lot of information regarding the type of leadership Mark Chavez provides...
I wonder who hired him?
Current administration hired him..and then they terminated the current director at that time...on her last day of her probation...that's just awful!!!
Looks like a total backfire now.
I guess we should ask..who was on Mark Chavez's interview panel? Michael Bishop? Juan Lopez? Chad Hammitt? Who knows? But, how could we find out? Does the public have the right to know who is responsible when making these types of hiring decisions?
After all, it is tax payers money paying for Mark Chavez's 100K salary....how can this information be provided to the public? Should we ask the State for assistance?
Allegedly Mark Chavez hired GUS- Production Supervisor..who I am told has ZERO expirience.I heard he was a buyer of books for SAUSD. And, there were plenty of candidates with a lot more expirience that applied for the job..but,I suppose we should not be suprised at this decision..Mark Chavez clearly is not the brightest or maybe he was paying it forward, after all..he was handed the keys to this department without earning it..read the..OCWEEKLY!!!!
There are allegations that there currently is a non high school graduate in charge of the kitchen at Mac Arthur....when the SAUSD rules clearly state that you have to have a high school diploma..but, I guess this is acceptible under Mark Chavez's regime....these are allegations worthy of researching...I am just saying
Good thing you mentioned MacArthur school
because the new supervisor had the nerve to accuse
one of the employees for being under the influence,
the employee was tested several times and all came back
negative, I ask myself why is this non graduate hs
supervisor still working at MacArthur school?
NON HIGHSCHOOL GRADUATE should be removed from Mac Arthur school period!..But, of course, F4T hired a director with NO expirience...I am sure since they made an exception for Mark Chavez...then they will make an exception for her...just using my freedom of speech..
I also heard that this same individual was given a lot of extra OVERTIME over the summer while people that have worked longer and deserved the OT at their school were only allowed like 2 hours. How is this fair?
Mark Chavez that ain't right! my thoughts..my opinions...
Another allegation is that there was a kitchen manager that lost her job due to money supposedly missing at her school...YET, when she left....there was still money missing at her school....another allegation worthy of further reasearch....
Calling all taxpayers!!! Allegations that an additional 92 cases of carrots were thrown away days before these pictures of the lettuce were even taken!!!! Sources state that there is so much product waste at SAUSD food services...that a full investigation may help BUT accountability is the only SOLUTION to this problem. Is Mark Chavez aware of what goes on in his kitchen? Maybe he didn't get the text regarding the waste since allegations state managers have to text him to communicate with him...
Sum1 please cut d oranges 4 our studnts..not right..kids have barely time 2 eat..no time cut oranges...why b lazy? Just our opinion...
The reason this is happening is because the current school board members don't have children in the Santa Ana Public Schools. They don't care what our students are fed. Also, it is not their money so it doesn't matter to them.
This is why we need Cecilia "CECI" Iglesias on the Board. She is the only candidate with a child attending the Public Schools in Santa Ana. She will make a difference on that Board. Ceci has the contract experience and is the only one that will request forensic accounting of the budget.
Come out tomorrow to support her at the Candidates Forum. There will be many parents and students there supporting her.
CECILIA "CECI" IGLESIAS
PUT STUDENTS FIRST
RUMOR HAS IT-Our boss Mark Chavez is hiring another field supervisor..wow! adding all these top layer managers and at our schools nothin!!! We dont even have enough help to feed our students!!!..the question we have is will this position be awarded to the new office specialist who was just a sub and allegedly was or had the office speacilist position created for him this summer/ school year whatevr?
In my opinion, it is not fair to give somone a position just becuz the boss thinks he should have it...what a screwed up department we have...USDA do your job
Jamie Oliver U need 2really come 2 SAUSD...U would see what a lame excuse of a food service director we have and all the mistakes Mark Chavez makes and how the district pays consultants to do his job!!!! All this with our tax payers money...
We are so despearete here..the State came back and SAUSD is keeping a tight lid on the results..YET Mark Chavez, former hamburger Mc Donald's graduate is still our director.....inquiring minds want to know how a person with approximately 4 years of school food service expirience has a job running a district of 33 million dollar budget?
These are all our opinions.....and ALLEGATIONS...just to be clear....but it seems like someone is doing this Napoleon rookie a political favor....funny...Mark Chavez's father works (so we are told) at LA Unified..did Mr. Bishop come from LA Unified?
We also know that Mark Chavez used to work with Thelma/Superintendent at another district, by the way SAUSD is the only district where Mr. Chavez has been a Food Service Director..prior to that he was an Operations Manager at a smaller district, then an Asst. Diretor, at another smaller district....totalling approximately 4 years....while working at Costco in the meat department...
So, we are compelled to ask...how did Mark Chavez land a Food Service Director job at a district our size??? Political favors?....we are not accusing..just asking....WONDERING!!!
SAUSD, we have a great Asst. Director now....he should be our leader...just our opinions
look it may be nice for you to think that the board is informed of everything but as i can see it from working in the district the board is completely mislead!! the board has no clue in the daily practices that go on at the schools. some of our board members never step onto our campuses such as hernandez, richardson and especially nogi. when they do step on the campuses they are met with great resilience. so dont blame our board blame the people that are hiding the information. the district knew that this was going on and did not one thing! i am glad this is out, now the city can see what is really going on!!
SUPPOSEDLY we are buying sandwiches from GRILL FRESH = paying $1.62 to $ 1.90..& this only includes the sandwich does not include + the milk+ fruits+ veggies= we sell the meal for $1.50..I don't get it. why sell the meal priced so low? Something aint right here...
it a 1.75 with the milk juice and veggies at the high school but have you seen these sandwiches.. old lettuce tomato processed turkey with processed cheese.. YUCK!!! i feed my dog better food than that!! but since this article has come out i have lost 5lbs since not buying the crap food at school!! Thank you Mark Chavez! ahahahahahahahah