Posted on by Amanda Baltazar
A row of prepared school lunches with rice, teryaki chicken and broccoli.
Parents in the school district spearheaded the switch to scratch-made, and the change means new everything, including relationships for locally sourced ingredients. Photos courtesy of Richie Wilim

California School District Goes Self-Op; Adds Employee Training

FoodService Director

January 2026

The most important thing Richie Wilim can give to his staff is training. He also converted his district to self-operated, a monumental feat that meant overhauling everything.

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