Published: May 28, 2009 08:52 pm      

Area schools fare well with OC inspectors

As summer nears and school is about to be out, inspectors with the Orange County Health Department have gone for one more look at their cafeterias.

Not only do schools have to be inspected by the health department, but they also have stringent requirements with their own director of food services. Each district has their own food services director to oversee the school cafeterias.

Overall, area schools fared well with the inspections and scored between 80 to 100.

Five field inspectors visit grocery stores, restaurants, convenience stores, schools, day cares and the county jail. The inspectors do not set appointments for the inspections, but randomly appear at the locations.

The Retail Food Establishment Inspection Report is a state form the inspectors use as a guideline to determine the amount of demerits given.

The score given to the business is based on a demerit system and a failing score is below 70. If a business scores below a 70, it may have to shut down until the problem is fixed.

The number of demerits given for violations depend on the seriousness of the offense.

The idea of this is not to punish the business owner, but to protect the health of the public. The business is also protected because people would not want to go to a restaurant that is dirty or makes people sick from contaminated food, according to health department officials.

• Anderson Elementary

902 West Park

Orange

Score : 100

• Oates Elementary

900 Newton

West Orange

Score: 94

Received demerits for: evidence of roaches and thermometers needed in the coolers.

• West Orange Intermediate

500 North 13th Street

Orange

Score: 80

Received demerits for: lack of proper cooling for cooked/prepared foods, the coolers gasket needed to be repaired since the insulation was exposed, evidence of mice, cracked floor tiles and a broken drain pipe.

• West Orange-Stark High School

1400 Newton

West Orange

Score: 91

Received demerits for: evidence of roaches, peeling paint on the ceiling in the kitchen and the dishes were not being washed/sanitized at the proper temperature.

•Little Cypress Elementary

5724 Meeks Dr.

Orange

Score:100

• Little Cypress Intermediate

2300 Allie Payne

Orange

Score: 100

• Little Cypress Jr. High

6765 FM 1130

Orange

Score: 100

•Mauriceville Elementary

Mauriceville

Score: 100

•Mauriceville Middle School

Mauriceville

Score: 97

Received demerits for: evidence of mice.

•Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School

7565 W. Highway 87

Score: 97

Received demerits for: light shields were needed in the kitchen area.

• Bridge City Intermediate

1029 W. Roundbunch

Bridge City

Score: 100

•Bridge City Middle School

300 Bower

Bridge City

Score: 97

Received demerits for: the dishwasher/sanitizer needed strips.

• Bridge City High School

2690 Texas Avenue

Bridge City

Score: 96

Received demerits for: personnel with infections were not restricted/excluded.

•Orangefield Elementary

Orangefield

Score: 100

•Orangefield Junior High School

Orangefield

Score:95

Received demerits for: the hot hold was not at the proper temperature.

•Orangefield High School

Orangefield

Score: 100

• Vidor Elementary

400 East Railroad

Vidor

Score: 97

Received demerits for: slime in the ice machine.

•Pine Forest Elementary

4450 N. Main

Vidor

Score: 100

•Oak Forest Elementary

2400 Highway 12

Vidor

Score: 97

Received demerits for: the air conditioning vent in the kitchen needed to be cleaned.

• Vidor Middle School

5500 Highway 12

Vidor

Score: 100

• Vidor Junior High School

945 N. Tram

Vidor

Score: 89

Received demerits for: the hot holds was not at the proper temperature, the manual sanitizing was not at the proper temperature and peeling paint in the walk-in cooler.

• Vidor High School

300 Orange

Vidor

Score: 92

Received demerits for: the hot hold was not at the proper temperature and the walk-in cooler ceiling needed to have the chipped paint area repaired.



Debby Schamber is a reporter for the Orange Leader. She can be reached at 409-883-3571 ext. 2603 or at dschamber@orangeleader.com.