District switches to Genuine Foods for school meals as staff report early improvements
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Summary
Superintendent Andy told the board the district will move from Sodexo to a new food-service contractor, Genuine Foods; staff and students reported early positive reactions while distribution questions remain.
The Greater Albany Public SD 8J administration announced a contract transition in the district—s food service program, moving from Sodexo to a provider the superintendent identified as Genuine Foods.
Superintendent Andy said Sodexo had underbid the district contract and that the pricing structure created pressure on meal quality. He said the district arranged a transition after Sodexo indicated it could not meet expectations. Andy said staff have begun experimenting with new menu items and that some students have already noticed improvements: —One of the children was overheard in one of the buildings saying, —Is it me or is the food better?——
Several board members and the classified employees— association president, Liz Craig, praised early improvements while noting distribution and staffing issues in some kitchens. Craig said the association will meet with administration and invited board participation to review distribution challenges and workload concerns raised by food-service employees.
The administration said the new provider will start in the fall (as presented) and that staff will continue to monitor meal quality, participation and kitchen operations as the vendor transition occurs. No specific contract terms, dollar amounts or vendor start dates were discussed in open session at the meeting.
