With just a few exceptions, health inspectors found cafeterias in the county's public schools clean and free of health violations in the past year, according to county Health Department records.

The few problems the schools had usually concerned food temperature and cleanliness, but even those were few and far between, said Gerard Zitnik Jr., program manager for Housing and Food Protection Services.

"Traditionally, schools have been pretty good," he said. "We do get rare criticals (violations) in the school system, but you're talking about a very short list."

Inspectors ambush schools twice a...