Table 5 Joint Display of Diverging Implementation Constructs and Key Qualitative Extracts by Participation Level

Culture

Overall informants from the lower participation school reported experiencing more stigma/discrimination among students who participated in school meals

I'm never thinking about it. I feel like there's a lot of kids getting food, but I guess there's all those kids that aren't. I don't know some kids are funny they want to put the hoods up and stuff because they don't want to get seen getting a free meal…They'll be like "hurry up hurry up. I don't want to be [seen]." Not that many. I guess whoever’s seeing them getting a free meal. (Administrator)

They just feel embarrassed about eating a eating a freebie. That's what we call em. (Food Service)

Sometimes people joke around and they be like, "Oh, you eating school lunch so like you homeless or whatever" (Student)

But kids know that this is like a safe place. And you can tell like, overall, when I'm in another classroom, it's just the relationship between the kids and the teachers and the report everybody like in the halls and so it's improved. It's a it's a I think, a very positive climate, even in the lunch room and in an in recess, which is like the hardest places (Administrator)

I would take a free meal. Nobody got to say nothing to me. (Student)

Because it is like kind of 5050 I don't think anybody's like worried or ashamed to go get the school lunch versus pack a lunch or anything like that. It seems pretty. Pretty much like a safe environment. When I've been in the cafeteria, it seems like a comfortable environment for everyone. (Teacher)

I like to eat in the cafeteria because then I get to be with my friends and stuff. Yeah. And then we can have like a little conversation. And then when it's time is up, then we just stop our conversation and go to class (MS Student)

Some of my friends like to eat free food. They're like, Oh, you're eating and freebies. But I think they like it. So I'm not going to judge a book by its cover, like people like different things. Yeah. So I'm not gonna say nothing mean (Student)

I don't personally see that in my classroom. But that's also because I don't like no one in my classroom has been shamed for taking the breakfast. You know, I've also created the expectation that if you are hungry, like grab a snack, you can grab a snack, you're gonna you're you are you are 12, you are growing. (Teacher)

Access to Knowledge and Information

Issues regarding communication and information sharing appeared more prevalent in low-participation schools whereas in higher participation schools participants said the menu was easy to find

Interviewer: Is there anything regarding the climate PD that kind of focus on school meals?

"No, I've never been in the PD, that are focused on it."—Climate Staff

"Like I said, they used to send the menu, which they don't anymore. Now, they don't send them anymore. They didn't use this in them every month, but they stopped." (Parent)

So they send it so they send it home. Again, I don't think they sent them home this month. (Teacher)

Okay, we're not set the lunch menu, we're only sent the breakfast menu. So I don't know what's coming up for lunch on any given day. And I don't really think the students are aware of it either. (Administrator)

I don't even know where to access the lunch menu. Okay, we're not set the lunch menu, we're only sent the breakfast menu. So I don't know what's coming up for lunch on any given day. And I don't really think the students are aware of it either. (Teacher)

Not because everything is actually on the computer, anything parents want to know. You know, to count the calories was in the food, everything. They can look it all up on the Food Service website. (Teacher)

Everything is actually on the computer, anything parents want to know. You know, to count the calories was in the food, everything. They can look it all up on the Food Service website. (Food Service)

Implementation Leads

Food service managers seemed to be more active and engaged in implementation among moderate/higher participation schools

Okay, this is a brand new cafeteria manager. So I can't speak to this year, think most of it's, he's just learning how to order properly and too much and how many and things like that. (Administrator)

Because I remember not getting into an argument with the food service manager. But inquiring why there is no milk for breakfast when kids want milk. And she was I will send them down if they want milk. No, that means you're gonna have kids out of their classrooms and in the hallways and you fear all these questions that we have, we're doing that for each classroom. That's like 20 Plus kids out of the hallway is just too much. So I don't know if that's a logistical thing. (Administrator)

And you know, the fact that it's prepared daily, [food service manager] gives them choices in between the salads and the sandwiches and you know, having a variety on the menu (Teacher)

I mean, I think it's I think it's between 60 and 70% [participation]. Nice, which is nice. And you know, the fact that it's prepared daily, she gives them choices in between the salads and the sandwiches and you know, having a variety on the menu (Administrator)

And sometimes what I'll do is, I'm entitled to one meal a day. We all are food service. So I'm a vegetarian. So if I'm not eating fruit, I'm not eating any of this. Yeah, and I'll offer my meal to another kid (Food service manager)

Some time, I might have gifts for them. For the class, they who know their ID numbers, I get them little gifts, stuff like that. Just keep them wanting to come to lunch and eat the lunch, you know. (Food Service Manager)

Human Equality-Centeredness

Challenges in making sure all students have the same menu options seemed more prevalent in lower participation schools

There's a whole line of kids and if you're one of the last people in line it's hard for you to get what [meal] you want. (Student)

Sometimes people get what you want. Sometimes you get what you don't want like sometimes it's just like this is like sometimes a cycle because you have a whole line of kids and like You're like one of the last people in line so it's like hard for you to get what you want. (Student)

It's not equitable distribution for food either. And I would say even from elementary to middle, if you're noticing an order High School, like either it's just not an equitable situation when it comes to food service (Teacher)

And I don't think you're talking about equity. Like across the district it's not the same, like what we have is not what sure it's not what's in [wealthier neighborhood]—they probably have like a nice full kitchen. (Administrator)

Sometimes when they get down there, I guess because they're in the later lunches. The most preferred food is already gone. So now they're stuck with the food that they don't like. So then situation after school where I'll have to, you know, go to the store and buy them a sandwich or something like that, so that they're not hungry (Parent)

For breakfast each month they switch the grades that are in the lunch room, so they have some eat breakfast in the lunch room and then some eat breakfast in the classroom. And they switch it up every month. So that's kind of all right. (Parent)

You know, if I'm getting a space meal and you're getting a space meal, we both got the same space meal. Yeah, it's not, I gotta have cheese and fries, and you got to treat to steak and fries. And you got a hamburger and fries. It's we all got the same (Administrator)

Assessing Needs—Innovation Recipients

Students and parents felt they had more of a voice in meal implementation in moderate/higher participation schools

(But do your children have any say at all in what served for lunch? Does the school ever ask them?)

"I don't think so." (Parent)

No, no. like they don't ask you (Student)

But you feel like you don't have a say because I feel like I can't say nothing since it's free. (Student)

No, because they don't even ask us what we want. They just give it to us.(Student)

Yeah, that's the only question. And that's a misleading question. You know, because I mean, you're providing food for people. I think it's not the food security is the issue. But that's not the that's not the main issue. You know, it's like, are your food needs being met is the question? (Administrator)

I feel like as far as, like the students, they're meeting with the principal like we have a student council advisory principal advisory. And there's one student in my class, she did take the poll, she did her notes. And she asked the students what they like or dislike, and everybody says the same thing, but lunches, that was one of the things so hopefully, when it goes to the principal, they'll see about what can be done (Teacher)

Even what they did when they created [online platform to show the menu]. Last year, we did have a QR code on a flyer. So that allowed the students to go on there to make suggestions, because they constantly complained to food service servers. And I said to them, you have a digital voice, let it be heard. Go on the website. Tell them what you like and what you don't like (Food Service)