School cafeterias have it made for passing health inspections.

"Schools, generally, are excellent," said David Lundstrom, Custer Health sanitarian.

Three factors attribute to the school cafeterias faring well in twice-yearly inspections: They serve a set menu, they serve a set number of people and they serve the food within a short time frame, Lundstrom said.

"We've gone one round (this year), and they all passed with flying colors," Mandan Food Service Director Dixie Schulz said.

It's not always the case for school cafeterias. Nationwide, one in 10 schools did not have its two required inspections, and 30 percent were inspected only once, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Locally, health inspectors are gearing up for spring cafeteria inspections. Bismarck and Mandan public schools are inspected in the fall and spring. Both districts regularly pass their inspections without violations.

"We have an excellent record," Bismarck Food Service coordinator Doug Joersz said.

The district has 22 schools. Each Bismarck school cafeteria is inspected by Environmental Health.

Recently, Bismarck High School, Roosevelt Elementary School and BECEP cafeterias were inspected. There were no violations, said Mel Fisher with Environmental Health. These schools are part of the latest spring inspections.

When inspections are done, the schools get a report or a copy of the inspection checklist, depending on the department's procedures. The Department of Public Instruction also keeps a file of cafeteria inspections, Lundstrom said.

The cafeterias are inspected for facility maintenance, cleanliness, food handling practices, cold storage and temperatures for serving hot and cold food, among other health criteria.

If a school had a serious violation, it would be reinspected to see if it is readdressed. No school cafeterias in Bismarck or Mandan have had serious health violations.

If a school had any violation, the food service staff would work to fix it, Joersz said.

"We're serving kids," he said. "We hold ourselves to a higher standard."

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)