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Board debates Sodexo renewal after complaints about food quality; administration proposes one-year extension and market study
Summary
Waukegan board members pressed administration on Sodexo performance and the district asked staff to prepare market research or an RFP timeline before a recommended one-year contract renewal; Sodexo requested a 3.6% maximum renewal increase and the district warned of onboarding risks if a new vendor is selected.
Board members at Waukegan CUSD 60 spent extensive time on Feb. 18 discussing renewal of the district’s food-service contract with Sodexo LLC, citing persistent complaints about food quality, incomplete rollout of an online ordering product and the financial risks of switching vendors.
Deputy Moten and other staff reminded the committee that the district went to RFP in spring 2023 and extended the current vendor. Sodexo has requested a one-year renewal with a 3.6% increase, the maximum allowable under the renewal terms staff presented. Staff said a full RFP could yield competing bids but warned the board that switching vendors can require extensive onboarding, equipment replacement and summer implementation work that could disrupt service.
Board members described recurring student complaints (items such as frequent pizza days and perceived low quality), and a failed rollout of the NutriSlice ordering function; staff confirmed the app’s menu-viewing functions are in use but student ordering has not yet been activated. Several trustees asked for more student engagement in vendor evaluation; some asked for more frequent reporting on food quality and student feedback. Members asked the administration to do market research — including regional price and labor-cost analysis — and to report back on timelines and resourcing needed to run an RFP without overburdening district staff.
Several trustees signaled general support for a one-year renewal while requesting the administration provide a written plan for market analysis, clearer data on student feedback and a schedule that would allow the district to go to RFP if the board later decides to do so. Deputy Moten said the administration will present the recommended renewal for a vote at the next board meeting and will provide the requested market-research timeline and cost/implementation estimates.
The meeting did not include a formal vote on the renewal; administration indicated it will bring a renewal resolution to the board’s next regular meeting with supporting data and any proposed conditions for the renewal.
