JACKSON TWP — Darlene Carmack wanted to revolutionize the way cafeteria workers in the Seneca Valley School District prepared and served food when she came into the district in 2010, but it wasn’t a job for one person.

That’s why Carmack, the food services director for all seven schools in the district, brought in chef Joe Comunale to train and educate the 90 cafeteria workers who are spread out among the schools.

Comunale, 54, came to the district in February 2014, making Seneca Valley one of the few districts in the region to have a full-time chef making food on campus instead of having food shipped to schools daily.

The chef knows a bit about food preparation and innovative techniques since he came from the Embassy Suites hotel near Pittsburgh, a place where he cleared more than $2.5 million in food sales in his last year there as head chef.

Comunale began his tenure at Seneca Valley only as a consultant, coming into the kitchens and instructing workers on how to prepare foods in the healthiest way possible.

His expertise along with Carmack’s guidance quickly transformed every aspect of Seneca Valley’s food preparation and servings, a transformation that led to a full-time position for Comunale.

He travels several hundred miles a week among all seven schools, doing trainings, preparations and observations with the staff.

For Comunale, it’s a non-stop job. He oversees every aspect of the production of more than 4,000 lunches a day, not to mention the dozens of other items served a la carte to students.

“I didn’t know if I’d like it or not,” said Comunale, noting that he’s spent his entire career in the hotel and restaurant industry. “Turns out it’s one of the most exciting jobs I’ve ever had.”

Carmack decided to bring in Comunale after First Lady Michelle Obama began promoting her Chefs Move to Schools program, designed to bring in outside chefs to help combat childhood obesity by creating healthier foods and using better techniques in preparation.

The results were almost immediate, Carmack said.

Seneca Valley only used to offer three food selections for students on any given day, including a main course and a salad dish.

Students now have 23 selections every day.

They can choose from pizza, which is always made with 100 percent whole-grain wheat, or other main courses, like General Tso’s chicken, roasted pork or three-bean beef chili.

Every meal served comes with a fruit and vegetable portion, Carmack said. For dessert, there are choices like whole-grain Rice Krispy treats or various pieces of fruits like blueberries, oranges or diced peaches.

In addition, every piece of food is labeled in terms of how many calories and how many grams of carbohydrates are contained within.

While some menu items repeat themselves, Comunale doesn’t follow a strict protocol when it comes to the types of food he offers.

For instance, he and Carmack learned that the children were raving about Chipotle Mexican Grill and its food, so Comunale decided to create a carnitas (braised beef) dish that some students say tastes even better than what they can get at the restaurant.

For Carmack, it’s a “new age” in food preparation and offerings for students, and she urged other food services directors to find a “gem” like Comunale before it’s too late.

“The children are actually excited about and love the food they’re eating,” Carmack said, noting that students routinely cheer and applaud Debbie Neely, the intermediate high school’s pizza maker who’s always cooking up a new whole-grain pizza.

Barb Gerginski, the manager of the kitchen in the intermediate high school, said the transformation in the district’s kitchens has been drastic.

She would know since that she’s been working in Seneca Valley’s kitchens for 23 years.

“It’s changed tremendously,” she said. “The last five years has seen a drastic change in how we present the different varieties and offerings of our foods.”

Comunale has been so successful at the district that he’s taking his act to the children. The chef said he’s organizing a cook-off with the principal of Haine Middle School, who fancies himself a cook too.

The sky is the limit for Seneca Valley’s food services, Comunale said, and he’s excited about bringing even more innovate techniques and foods to the district.