NYC School Cafeteria Inspection Violations Since 2020

Over 20 columns detail current inspection results for cafeterias in New York City public, private, and parochial schools. The dataset is maintained by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and covers inspections from 2020 to the present. Data excludes closed cafeterias and violations dismissed during adjudication.

Use Cases

• Predicting future ViolationDescription based on SchoolName, InspectionDate, and Level using time-series models.
• Mapping inspection density and violation severity by Borough and COUNCILDISTRICT using LATITUDE and LONGITUDE.
• Analyzing correlations between Code, ViolationDescription, and LastInspection date to identify recurring issues.
• Clustering schools by BOROCODE and NTA based on inspection history and Site Type to target regulatory outreach.

Strengths

• Includes over 20 columns of inspection details and geospatial identifiers like BBL and BIN.
• Data is actively maintained, with a last update in April 2026.
• Covers multiple school types (Public, Private, Parochial) across all NYC boroughs.

Limitations

• Row count and total inspection volume are unknown.
• Inspection protocol changed during COVID-19, potentially creating inconsistencies in data collected after March 2020.
• Excludes data from cafeterias that ceased operations, limiting longitudinal analysis of closures.

Provenance

Source

NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) via data.cityofnewyork.us.

Collection Method

Official health department inspections following a modified protocol during the COVID-19 emergency.

Time Range

2020 to present.

Freshness

Updated regularly, with data current as of April 2026.

Geography

New York City (all boroughs).