New Look of School Milk Success Stories

District: Spring Independent School District, Houston, TX

Foodservice Director: Melanie Konarik

Dairy Processor: Ray Platter, Borden Houston

BACKGROUND

Borden provided vending machines for a test in the Spring ISD high schools. Konarik was concerned when she observed students spending money for a 16 oz. bottle in the vending machine rather than picking up the 8 oz. wax carton of milk which went with the reimbursable meal. She had heard about the School Milk Pilot Test and asked Ray Platter at Borden what was available in larger sizes and plastic containers.

IMPLEMENTATION

As a dietitian, Konarik is concerned about the calcium deficiency among school age students, particularly at the upper grade levels, but she knew that you had to give students something that they want. Borden supplied the middle and high schools in Spring ISD with milk in 12 ounce plastic bottles for their reimbursable breakfast and lunch meals in Fall 2002. Spring continued to sell the 16 oz. milk a la carte. Students could choose from a variety of flavors (white, chocolate, strawberry and vanilla) for no additional charge. Konarik incurred an increased cost per unit, but felt the investment was paid off in her students’ improved nutrition intake.

IMPACT

  • Total ounces increased 112%
  • Unit sales increased 49%
  • Average daily participation at lunch increased 10%
  • Average daily participation at breakfast increased 15%

WORD OF ADVICE

“If you don’t have flavors, add flavors,” states Konarik. “But the container is everything. Plastic, easy to hold containers attracted our students.” She believes that increasing the size of the waxed carton wouldn’t have produced the increase in sales and meal participation as the larger plastic container produced.

District: City of Chesapeake Public Schools, Chesapeake, VA

Foodservice Director: Peggy Lee

Dairy Processor: Bruce Matson, Marva Maid Dairy

BACKGROUND

“We need to do something different,” states Peggy Lee. “We’ve gone from glass bottles to wax-coated paper cartons and used them for years. Our customers have changed, and this is a wake up call for all of us.” Marva Maid Dairy was the supplier of milk to 12 schools from Chesapeake Public Schools in order to participate in the School Milk Pilot Test during the 2001-02 school year. Milk was provided in a variety of flavors, in plastic packaging that was served cold and merchandised well on the meal line, in a la carte and vending. The package was a simple, eight ounce frosted bottle with no label.

IMPLEMENTATION

After the study was complete, Lee expanded the program to provide milk in 10 oz. plastic containers on the meal line in all of her secondary schools. After the test, as part of the improved program, the package included a branded label. In vending, a similar product was provided in 14 oz. and 16 oz. bottles of various flavors of Nesquick. In 2004, plans are to provide milk in 8 oz. bottles in all elementary schools.

IMPACT

  • An almost 12 percent milk sales increase
  • Students drank more milk
  • Expanded number of vending machines in high and middle school

WORD OF ADVICE

“You need to do this program,” says Lee. Bruce Matson concurs, “In my opinion, if test studies show consumption is way up, the industry as a whole is going to have to give consumers what they want. And if consumers want plastic containers in schools, then that’s what we’ll be doing.”