Board approves Central Washington joint cooperative contracts for produce and milk

The Prosser School District Board of Directors approved two cooperative purchasing contracts on Aug. 13 to continue the district’s fresh produce and milk purchases through the Central Washington joint cooperative. District food services staff said the cooperative—comprising districts from Prosser to Ellensburg—lets members pool bids to secure lower prices. The board approved the Central Washington Joint Cooperative fresh produce contract and the milk and dairy products contract; both motions carried by voice vote. Food services managers told the board the district used the same vendors last year, including Spokane Produce and Springbrook Farms, and that the cooperative approach limited price increases compared with purchasing individually. One presenter noted an example price difference mentioned in the meeting — “if I was to buy the milk from US Foods, which would be, like, 32¢ per carton compared to I believe this is 29¢ per carton.” District staff said they were satisfied with product quality and vendor responsiveness, including credits for occasional shipments recorded as spoiled by students. Board members voted to approve the cooperative contracts so the food services department could finalize orders and take advantage of the cooperative pricing for the coming school year.