CLAY TWP — Neighboring school districts Allegheny-Clarion Valley and Moniteau have a new arrangement: Let's do lunch.

Both school boards recently took steps to curb costs when they voted for a two-year agreement to share a food service director.

They also approved Jennifer Zellefrow, director of food services for Moniteau, to be in charge.

Moniteau Superintendent George Svolos said Zellefrow will be employed by his district but be in charge of both districts. Her salary is still under consideration.

“We'll actually be paying Moniteau for half of her salary and benefits,” said David McDeavitt, A-C Valley superintendent.

He said AC Valley will keep the food service employees it has — head cook and cafeteria staff — for the district's two cafeterias.

“From a financial standpoint it's beneficial to both districts,” Svolos said. “With today's economic climate, we have to look at ways to save money without sacrificing service.”

AC Valley will cut the apron strings with The Nutrition Group, a food and facilities management company based in Irwin, at the end of this school year.

For more than a decade, AC Valley has used The Nutrition Group which provides a cafeteria manager for the district.

“Throughout that time we've been losing student participation and the overall cost of running the cafeteria continued to increase,” McDeavitt said.

Last year the district requested proposals for managing the district's food service. McDeavitt said the only proposal received was from The Nutrition Group.

He decided to check out food service operations at the Clarion and Union school districts.

He also visited Moniteau where he met Zellefrow. They discussed the pros and cons of working with a food service management company versus having a self-operated food service.

“We really were impressed with the product, the food that they were serving the students, the cleanliness of the cafeteria and the whole operation,” McDeavitt said. “We were very impressed with Jennifer Zellefrow.”

McDeavitt, Svolos and Zellefrow began evaluating if sharing the director position would work.

Zellefrow said this kind of sharing is becoming more popular.

“Freedom and Riverside, this is the first year that they've merged. Clarion and Brookville have been doing this for more than 20 years. Jamestown and Greenville have been doing it for more than 10 years,” she said.

“I'll be working closely with the (AC Valley) superintendent, the students and the business manager to try to control their budget,” she said. “The benefit is that I respond directly to their school board and everything is very transparent.”

“She will be here next year for 110 days,” McDeavitt said. “She'll spend 110 at Moniteau.”

“Here (at Moniteau) it should not change the functioning. I am available by cell phone and a lot of things can be done remotely,” Zellefrow said.

Purchasing for AC Valley's department will change.

“(Moniteau is) part of the Pittsburgh Regional Food Service Directors. They submit bids for all of our food items excluding milk,” Zellefrow said. “It's for self-operated food service operations. AC Valley will be joining that purchasing group.”

She said, “I hope we create a buzz that school food is good and that it's cool to eat in the cafeteria and that we serve quality food.”

McDeavitt said, “Our number one goal is to increase our student participation. It helps to offset the cost of operating the cafeteria. They're also meeting the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act and they're getting a nutritious meal.”

He said, “It's going to take a couple of years before we start seeing savings.”

McDeavitt expects the time lag as they streamline operations in the district's cafeterias and increase student participation.

Zellefrow, who is a registered and licensed dietitian, has 18 years of school and hospital food service experience, clinical nutrition experience and restaurant experience. She has been at Moniteau for 10 years.

“She is very knowledgeable and progressive in her thinking,” Svolos said. “She does a tremendous job for us. I'm confident she'll make the program work for both districts.”