Talk About Clyde: Nieset to retire after 23 years of keeping youths fed well at school

This is National School Breakfast Week, with special daily events planned by Vicky Nieset, food service director for Clyde-Green Springs Schools.

After 23 years with the district, Nieset is retiring at the end of the school year and interviews for her successor are underway.

"I will miss my job and all the kids," she said. "I have a great crew; all are kid-minded and want to do what is best for the student. We work real hard so there are no issues. At the end of the day, we hope we did a good job."

When she was first hired in February 2000, the only available space for her office was in a closet on the second floor of Vine Street Elementary school. Laura Kagy was principal there and David Danhoff was superintendent. Two years later she moved into her own office in the former school bus garage on Hill Street, in space carved out for her by the school maintenance department.

Nieset saw staff size double when the new schools opened

Before the new schools were built, Nieset supervised 15 employees. That number has grown to 30 people, with the addition of more serving lines.

Clyde Elementary, Green Springs Elementary and McPherson Middle School now each have two serving lines. Clyde High School has four serving lines: a pizza bar; a salad bar featuring specialty salads; and two lines for the regular menu. "We have beautiful lunch lines, with lots of color to choose from," Nieset said, noting that visiting students are impressed, stating that our serving lines are prettier than theirs.

"We want lunch to be the second best thing at school after recess," she said. Parents are more than welcome to come to lunch to see what is offered, the food service director added.

Nieset, as food service director, is required to comply with numerous government programs.

Keeping things tasty, colorful while meeting federal rules

Those include National School Lunch, National School Breakfast, National After School Snack, National After School Supper and Summer Feeding.

Those are in addition to former First Lady Michelle Obama's regulations — requiring students to have fresh fruits and vegetables, sodium reduced foods, and whole grain foods which must make up a specific percentage of every meal. Nieset said finding foods meeting the latter requirements is sometimes difficult.

National School Lunch Program stipulates a specific amount of fruits, vegetables, red/orange, beans/peas, starches and other vegetables, plus grains, meat/meat alternate and fluids/milk. Those amounts differ by grades for kindergarten through fifth grade, sixth through eighth grade, and high school. Candy cannot be offered.

Nieset noted there is sometimes food waste, but more students are choosing fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh carrots and broccoli are always offered on the daily menu.

Becky Watt, Nieset's assistant of nine years, noted that one elementary student is upset if broccoli is not available. "Becky knows a ton, she will be a good resource (to new director)," Nieset said.

Intensive paperwork and book work is necessary to keep things in line. Each year Nieset is audited for food, labor and supply cost by five different entities and she must provide a monthly state report on plate cost per student. The schools are reimbursed by the federal government with differing amounts for paid lunches, reduced-price, and free lunches.

The food services director's job is year-round. She always devoted June and July to planning the lunch menu for the upcoming school year, following all guidelines for the nutritional requirements, which she said is a huge job.

Also under Nieset's supervision some years ago an online lunch payment system was implemented for the school district ― eliminating the need for daily lunch money. Each student is assigned a four-digit code which they punch in when going through the lunch line. Parents can add money to their account online or by calling the school.

"It's a good system, allowing parents to track online what what their children are eating. If a student runs out of money, they can borrow from a sibling's account, but only with the parent's permission," she said.

The school district is fortunate that anonymous donors step forward to pay off student's outstanding meal accounts. Friends of the Fliers Helping Club has been in existence for the past few years, where donated funds from churches, organizations and others help pay off outstanding school lunches. Often graduating seniors with a balance left in their account donate it to the club.

Nieset performed her job duties well, and now she is looking forward to some fun in her life. Before working for the school district, she worked 27 years at Foodtown.

Local events

● Clyde Business Scavenger Hunt starts Friday, March 10, with a chance to win gift baskets. Pick up worksheets at Sirona's Natural Healing, Wild Brew or Dunkin' Donuts. More than 30 businesses are participating, said Megan Franks of Sirona's.

● "Ants’hillvania", a play of the whimsical retelling of the parable of the prodigal son, will be presented at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 11, at the First Missionary Church, 927 S. Main St. Admission is free. An offering will be taken.

● The 2023 Maple Fest will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, March 12, at Snavely's Sugar Shack, 9404 E. Township Road138, Republic, weather permitting.

● The first program of the year is set at the Clyde Museum for 6:30 pm. March 14. It is a first-person reenactment of Simon Kenton, an early Frontiersman and explorer of Ohio.

Jeanette Liebold Ricker writes about Clyde and Green Springs. Contact her at 419-547-8177 or by email at jeanette.ricker@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Talk About Clyde: Food service director eyes retirement after 23 years