Joint committees review multiple state contracts, spotlight school-food training, Medicaid provider system and ClassWallet funds

At a Joint Interim Committees meeting, agency representatives presented multiple contracts and contract amendments for committee review, including a Department of Education culinary-training contract funded entirely with federal child-nutrition dollars, a Medicaid provider-management contract with GainWell Technologies LLC, and a $384,950 increase to the state’s ClassWallet contract for the school-choice platform.

The matters matter because the approvals and amendments affect how federal and state programs are run — from what foods are promoted in school meals to how providers enroll with Medicaid and how parents access state school-choice funds.

Tina Hammonds, representing the Alabama Department of Education, told the committee the department had three contracts starting on page 8 of the agenda and described one with the Cheff Anne Foundation as “100% federal funds” that was procured by request for proposals and that the vendor will provide “culinary trainings and recipes based on Alabama foods for our kids in the schools.” Hammonds also described work to integrate products from the Sweet Grown Alabama initiative into school menus and recipe development.

Hammonds said the Cheff Anne Foundation was the only respondent to the solicitation for that offering…