Despite working in the midst of the packed cafeteria, Ms. Barb Carr is rarely seen by students.
Carr is the Regional Manager of the Food Service for a region that oversees the school.
“I started back in 2000 as a crew worker at Parkway in the entree Department, and I worked my way up to the Regional Manager Position,” Carr said.
Her position entails many job descriptions, but her primary role involves supervising food dispersion.
“I’m over this school, two middle schools and four elementary schools. We cook the food and satellite it to them everyday,” Carr said. Each kitchen’s composed of a lead and helpers, which includes up to six people.
Carr works running several Parkway kitchens, yet the kitchen is organized outside of the district.
“We’re independent of the school and responsible for our own finances,” Carr said. “We just started getting money for equipment from Parkway a few years ago, but otherwise we have to maintain our own budget.”
While Carr’s job consists of mainly supervision, she must ensure that many smaller things are accounted for each day.
“We have two different runs that we do in the mornings,” Carr said. “We cook the food and run it out to half of the schools by 8:30. By 9:30, we run out the food to the other half of the schools. After, we start cooking for the Central kids.”
Ordering food for as many as 300 plus students in one high school, in addition to the other schools Carr oversees, is no small feat. For instance, on days in which pizza is served, the Food Service Department orders 30 boxes of pizza for Central students.
“We have to order all the food for every single school we overlook, such as all the a la carte items. We order pizza, bread, and all that we need for the salads and baking that we’re going to do that day,” Carr said.
Carr’s role mainly involves work away from direct contact with students, but tries to spend the time she has around them.
“I like being around people, which is why I’ve worked in the food industry,” Carr said. “That’s the part I miss the most of working the lunch line is interacting with students. I do get to serve breakfast so I get to see the students every morning; I go out there whenever I can.”
Carr does believe, though, despite the Food Service’s limited contact with students, they are able to form a type of relationship unlike others in the school.
“We don’t have to give the kids grades, we just feed them, and they like being fed,” Carr joked. “We’re probably not as close to them as some of the teachers are, but we enjoy the time we spend with them.”
She also notes that, as a result of the Food Service’s fixed role in the lunch room, they are able to watch a truly interesting process, according to Carr.
“They come in so rowdy and by the time they are in 11th and 12th grade, they’ve calmed down so much and are so polite. It’s really interesting to see them progress,” Carr said.
Though students do not see Carr everyday, she urges them to say something at any time they need.
“Don’t be afraid to ask anything, because all of us are always here to help. If they need anything, our office door is always open,” Carr said.