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District 97 to renew high‑school food services contract, pursue food‑waste audit; board approves 10¢ lunch price increase
Summary
Staff presented a food‑service plan that includes a district food‑waste audit and outreach to students and families; the board approved a 10¢ increase in paid lunch prices and moved to extend the intergovernmental agreement with the high school provider.
Oak Park Elementary School District 97 staff presented a plan on April 8 to renew the district’s intergovernmental food‑service agreement, expand menu outreach and begin a food‑waste audit in partnership with local organizations; the board approved a 10¢ increase to paid lunch prices for elementary and middle school students as part of actions taken at the meeting.
What staff presented: Carla Ellis, the district’s food‑service sustainability manager, described next steps for SY25–26: conducting building‑level student surveys, posting daily menus in cafeterias and using student taste‑tests to inform menu choices. She proposed “sharing tables” in cafeterias to allow uneaten, prepackaged items to be offered to other students and suggested after‑school donation options for leftover items.
A district‑commissioned food‑waste audit: staff said 7 Generations Ahead secured funding for a third‑party audit to document existing cafeteria disposal practices, equipment and diversion opportunities; the contract will be carried out by a local team (Lehi Is More) to gather a baseline for future food‑waste and composting work.
Contract and pricing context: Oak Park and River Forest High School provides meals to District 97 under an IGA; staff said OPRF buys in bulk with other districts and that pricing has risen modestly. Because OPRF orders months in advance, some menu changes may take time to show up on daily menus. The board approved renewing the IGA and accepted staff’s recommendation to pass a 10¢ per‑lunch increase through to students for paid lunches in both elementary and middle school cafeterias; staff said the increase matches the vendor’s per‑meal price change.
Why it matters: Food services are subject to federal National School Lunch Program rules (meal‑component and nutrition requirements), and school food participation affects both student nutrition and program revenue. Staff emphasized the district’s limited control over some product availability (bulk buying through the high school) but highlighted local sourcing promotions, entrees‑of‑the‑month and family outreach as ways to increase participation and reduce waste.
Board discussion: board members asked about logistics for sharing tables, refrigeration and allergy controls; staff said they will include safety and allergy procedures in any sharing‑table pilot and will explore options to donate unopened or held items to local food pantries. Board members also asked staff to ensure the food‑waste audit measures cafeteria throughput (line time) because increasing participation may require operational changes to avoid reducing students’ eating time.
Formal action: the board approved the IGA renewal and the 10¢ increase in paid lunch prices; staff will return with contract documents and audit details.
