Comstock Park — It only took a second for kindergartner Luna Peabody to say what her favorite food item was from the school lunch: tater tots. She likes them with the pizza, she added.
Thanks to a renovation of the Stoney Creek Elementary cafeteria and kitchen, Luna and all Stoney Creek students are now getting their tater tots, pizza and other foods fresh from the ovens.
The renovation enlarged the kitchen area, allowing for items to be prepped and cooked at the school. The project, completed this summer, was one of the first from the district’s $59.46 million bond issue voters approved in 2023.
“Our food service staff now has the capability to prepare all student meals on site,” said Marty Eischer, director of finance and operations.
The cafeteria has also been redesigned, with new flooring, tables and individual seats instead of the previous bench seating.
Through a five-year-plan, all of Comstock Park’s school facilities are scheduled to receive renovations and updates from the 2023 bond. Eischer said the work should be completed by 2030.
On-site Prep = Fresher Options
District Food Director Melissa Alley said Stoney Creek’s original kitchen area was a satellite kitchen, allowing for limited food preparations. Most of the meals were prepared at the high school, transported to Stoney Creek around 9 a.m. and placed in warmers until lunchtime.
Now all food is now prepared and cooked on site.
“When you can prepare and cook food fresh versus placing it in a warmer for several hours, the quality of food is 100 times better,” Alley said, adding that she has seen double the amount of vegetables taken by students and more empty plates when students are done with their meals.
The renovated cafeteria features two serving windows — previously there was only one — along with a fruit and vegetable station where students are able to select items.
The new kitchen includes a walk-in cooler, prep stations and a dish area, and is large enough to allow all kitchen items previously stored in the cafeteria to be moved into the kitchen. The former kitchen area was converted to dry storage.
Alley said one of favorite new items is an oven that allows the team to perform several cooking techniques such as air fry, bake and steam, at the same time. The oven also stores up to 350 recipes, she said.
Principal Robin Picarazzi said that having a kitchen at the school offers greater flexibility for students. When food was prepared at the high school, Stoney Creek had a limited window to place lunch orders, which made it difficult to accommodate late arrivals or last-minute changes. With an onsite facility, she said, staff, students and the food service team can make adjustments more easily.
The cafeteria, once the school gym with its original gym floors, has also been redesigned, she said. It now features new flooring and tables with individual seats instead of the previous bench seating.
Along with the cafeteria renovations, Stoney Creek also received new flooring/carpet and painted walls in the entryway, office area, hallways and eight classrooms. Also this past summer, new ventilation systems were installed in six classrooms, student restrooms at the main entrance were remodeled and the school’s boiler was replaced.
And the Work Continues
Picarazzi said she looks forward to the completion of the remainder of planned Stoney Creek projects this summer. The school will get new carpeting and flooring, fresh paint and updated ventilation units for the remaining hallways and classrooms for air conditioning throughout the building. Classrooms will also receive safety hardware on all doors, and new furniture.
Construction on the district’s new tennis complex at Pine Island Elementary is also scheduled to begin this summer.
Eischer said the district is pleased with the progress so far as it moves into the second phase of construction, which will start with work at the high school this summer.
The high school project includes a renovation of the cafeteria and a remodel of the main office to enhance safety and security. Additionally, the school will receive a new auxiliary gym with adjoining team rooms, and the boilers will be replaced.
Read more from Comstock Park:
• It’s official: Pine Island’s second floor now open
• Districts are feeding more students due to universal meals
