How clean is your kid’s school cafeteria? See latest results from SLO County inspections
Just as county health inspectors evaluate the conditions of local restaurants and eateries, they also inspect public school cafeterias.
And while many local schools passed their latest inspections with flying colors, others were found out of compliance with county health code.
Inspectors visit restaurants, bars, coffee shops, grocery stores, mini-marts and, of course, schools on a monthly basis. They score those locations on a 100-point scale and make deductions based on the severity of the violations they find.
At the public school level, violations ranged from visible grime buildup in sinks to improper refrigeration, which resulted in discarded milk and meat products.
Schools are inspected twice per academic year.
The Tribune compiled a list of the most recent cafeteria inspection results to better inform families about their local schools. Here’s what we found.
To further check on the status of your child’s school cafeteria cleanliness, visit EatSafeSLO.org and use the interactive map to view full inspection reports.
Lowest-scoring schools
Here are the lowest-scoring schools, according to the latest inspection results.
Lopez Continuation High School, 1055 Mesa View Drive, Arroyo Grande
Points lost: 7
Inspection date: Sept. 13
Health inspectors docked points from the South County alternative high school after they found no records marking when food was delivered from the nearby Mesa Middle School. Inspection notes said these records are required of schools that use time, rather than time and temperature, as a public health control method. This was a repeat violation, dating back to the school’s April inspection, when it scored a 98, according to inspection notes. The repeat offense cost the school five additional points.
Dana Elementary School, 920 W Tefft St., Nipomo
Points lost: 3.5
Inspection date: Sept. 11
Inspectors found the Nipomo elementary school’s walk-in refrigeration unit was holding at 44 degrees — three degrees above standards. This violation was corrected on site, according to inspection notes. Staff moved milk products to another refrigerator and threw away meat products.
Additionally, inspectors found grime in a floor sink, which cost the elementary school additional points, according to inspection notes.
Nipomo High School, 525 N. Thompson Ave., Nipomo
Points lost: 3
Inspection date: Sept. 26
Inspectors found dust built up in the hood system at Nipomo High School, a repeat violation dating back to the school’s April inspection. Inspectors also found two lights out in the hood system, another repeat violation. Inspectors first found one light out in October 2023 and found a second light out in April.
The high school also lost points for grime observed in several floor sinks.
Winifred Pifer Elementary School, 1350 Creston Road, Paso Robles
Points lost: 3
Inspection date: Sept. 19
Inspectors noted that the Paso Robles elementary school kitchen did not have adequate cleaning solution available to sanitize food preparation surfaces. The violation was corrected onsite, according to inspection notes.
Paulding Middle School, 600 Crown Hill St., Arroyo Grande
Points lost: 3
Inspection date: Sept. 10
Inspectors observed ice buildup on the pipes and floor of a freezer at Paulding Middle School. The ice was caused by leaking water lines, the inspection notes said. This was a repeat violation dating back to September 2023.
The middle school was docked additional points after inspectors found that the kitchen doors — which lead outside — were propped open.
Paso Robles High School, 801 Niblick Road, Paso Robles
Points lost: 3
Inspection date: Sept. 5
Inspectors docked points from Paso Robles High School after finding inadequate cleaning solution in the dishwasher, according to its latest inspection report. The violation was corrected onsite, the inspection notes said.
Which schools had the highest scores?
A string of SLO County schools received perfect scores on their latest inspections. They were:
San Luis Obispo:
Chris Jespersen School, 251 Grand Ave.
Loma Vista Community School, 2494 Pennington Creek Road
South County
- Ocean View Elementary School, 1208 Linda Drive, Arroyo Grande
- Fairgrove Elementary School, 2101 The Pike, Grover Beach
- Grover Beach Elementary School, 365 S 10th St., Grover Beach
- Branch Elementary School, 970 School Road, Arroyo Grande
North Coast
Santa Lucia Middle School, 2850 Schoolhouse Lane, Cambria
Morro Bay High School, 235 Atascadero Road, Morro Bay
Coast Union High School, 2950 Santa Rosa Creek Road, Cambria
Cambria Grammar School, 3223 Main St., Cambria
North County
- Kermit King Elementary School, 700 Schoolhouse Circle, Paso Robles
- Paloma Creek High School, 10801 El Camino Real, Atascadero
- Bauer/Speck Elementary School, 401 17th St., Paso Robles
- Templeton Middle School, 925 Old County Road, Templeton
- Santa Margarita Elementary School, 22070 H St., Santa Margarita
- Shandon High School, 101 S First St., Shandon
- Shandon Elementary School, 301 S First St., Shandon
- Monterey Road Elementary School, 3355 Monterey Road, Atascadero
- San Benito Elementary School, 4300 San Benito Road, Atascadero
- Templeton High School, 1200 S. Main St., Templeton
- Larsen Elementary School, 1601 L St., San Miguel
- Vineyard Elementary School, 2121 Vineyard Drive, Templeton
- Templeton Elementary School, 215 Eighth St., Templeton
- San Gabriel Elementary School, 8500 San Gabriel Road, Atascadero
To see the results of all school cafeteria inspections, visit www.EatSafeSLO.org.
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