Vending Sales Double with Point of Sale Vending Interface at Windham High School

Overview
Windham School District is comprised of four schools with nearly 3,000 students in Windham, NH. In the 2012-2013 school year, they served 16,271 breakfasts and 192,833 lunches. They currently utilize a Meals Plus Point of Sale vending machine interface at Windham High School.

District Obstacles
When Windham School Board and the district’s parents showed interest in an afterschool snack program, Nutrition Services Director, Rhonda Peckham, began to look at the district’s options to start the program. The district did not have enough free or reduced students to meet the NSLP’s requirements to use their Afterschool Snack Program. The district could have required a cafeteria staff member stay after school to run a snack line, but that would limit the amount of time snacks would be available and would require additional staffing. That’s when Rhonda decided to investigate alternative options.

Finding the Answer
Windham School District implemented Meals Plus Point of Sale in 2012, which featured a vending machine interface. The interface allowed students to make purchases using their prepaid meal accounts by entering their PIN number and for increased security, their birth date.

Results
Since implementing the point of sale interface, vending sales have doubled and the district can barely keep the machines stocked. After only one year, Windham School District has earned enough vending profits to cover all of the interface’s purchase and installation costs. And by opting to use vending sales in lieu of a staff member managing the afterschool snacks program, the district will save 80% in operating costs each year. After school sports also play a part in the increase in sales, and working with the Athletic Director, Rhonda has noted to stock the vending machines with nutrient packed snacks and drinks for student athletes. Additionally, any vandalism or fraudulent purchases are kept at a  minimum thanks to cameras located inside the vending machines and throughout the school.

Meals Plus Point of Sale also offered the ability to restrict the purchase of certain items for individual students, which was useful if parents request limitations be set to their student’s a la carte or vending sales. The point of sale vending interface has been so successful, Rhonda and her team look forward to implementing the interface at the middle school’s machines in the 2014-2015 school year.