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District explains meal-price increases in intergovernmental food-service agreement with District 97
Summary
District staff said meal-price increases in the intergovernmental agreement to provide breakfast and lunch to District 97 reflect rising costs and the sunset of some federal local-food purchasing programs; staff said District 97 reviewed the increase and the arrangement still likely saves money versus contracting out food service.
Oak Park–River Forest School District 200 staff presented proposed meal-price increases in an intergovernmental agreement under which District 200 provides breakfast and lunch to District 97.
Staff said the increases reflect higher costs the district is experiencing and the end of some federal local-food purchasing programs. "The big one is that last year, the numbers were held back to see if the inflation would be more temporary... We are also there's certain local food purchasing programs that have been available through the federal government that, will be sunset and that we won't have access to," one staff member said.
Board members asked whether the increases would raise prices for District 97 families; staff said the district did not know District 97’s final pass-through plan for purchased meals for families who pay, although students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals should be unaffected beyond whatever federal rates specify. Staff also said District 97’s board has already reviewed the proposal because of the increase size and that District 97 judged it preferable to remain in the intergovernmental arrangement rather than hire a third-party vendor.
Board members questioned whether District 90 had been approached as a partner and were told District 90 had previously declined food-service consolidation.
Staff said the district’s food-service operation participates in a larger purchasing cooperative that helps lower bid prices when multiple districts bid together; staff cautioned that withdrawing from that cooperative could increase costs.
No formal action on the agreement was reported during the committee meeting; staff said the packet’s food-service items will return for approval at the next board meeting.
