SFA Director Proposed Hiring Standards
Minimum
Requirements
for Directors
Minimum
Education
Standards
(required)
(new directors only)
Student Enrollment
2,499 or less
Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent
educational experience, with
academic major/concentration in
specific areas*
OR
Student Enrollment
2,500-9,999
Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent
educational experience, with
academic major/concentration in
specific areas*
Student Enrollment
10,000 or more
Bachelor’s degree, or
equivalent educational
experience, with academic
major/concentration in specific
areas*
OR
OR
Bachelor’s degree in any academic
major, and State-recognized
certificate in food and nutrition, food
service management, dietetics, family
and consumer sciences, nutrition
education, culinary arts, or business;
OR
Associate’s degree or equivalent
educational experience, with
academic major/concentration in
specific areas*; and at least one year
of relevant school nutrition programs
experience;
Bachelor’s degree in any academic
major, and State-recognized
certificate in food and nutrition, food
service management, dietetics, family
and consumer sciences, nutrition
education, culinary arts, or business;
OR
Bachelor’s degree in any
academic major, and Staterecognized certificate in food
and nutrition, food service
management, dietetics, family
and consumer sciences,
nutrition education, culinary
arts, or business;
Associate’s degree or equivalent
educational experience, with
academic major/concentration in
specific areas*; and at least one year
of relevant school nutrition programs
experience;
OR
Minimum
Education
Standards
(preferred)
(new directors only)
Minimum
Prior Training
High school diploma (or GED) and at
least five years of relevant experience
in school nutrition programs.
Directors hired without associate’s
degree strongly encouraged to work
toward attaining associate’s degree
upon hiring.
Directors hired without associate’s
degree strongly encouraged to work
toward attaining associate’s degree
upon hiring.
Master’s degree, or willingness
to work toward master’s
degree.
At least 1 year management
experience, preferably in school
nutrition.
At least 3 college credit hours in
food service management and
at least 3 credit hours in
nutritional sciences.
At least 8 hours of food safety training is required either 3 years prior to their starting date or completed within
30 days of employee’s starting date.
(required) (new
directors only)
*Specific majors/areas of concentration: food and nutrition, food service management, dietetics, family and consumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts,
business, or a related field.
SNDA IV (2011-12) data:
- 34% of current directors in LEAs of in LEAS of 2499 or less possess an associate’s degree or higher. An
additional 27 percent have completed some college without a degree; however 27 percent only possess a high
school diploma.
- For directors in LEAs with an enrollment of 2,500 to 9,999 students, nearly 70 percent have an associate’s,
bachelor’s or graduate degree, and another 22 percent have some college. Therefore, only 8 percent of current
directors possess only a high school diploma.
- For directors in LEAs with an enrollment of 10,000 or more students, more than 80 percent of current
directors have a bachelor’s or graduate degree.