Board approves procurement plan, modest student meal price increase and child nutrition program agreement

The Garden City Board of Education approved the district procurement plan, a meal charge policy and modest student meal price increases for the 2025–26 school year and voted to adopt the 2026 Child Nutrition Program agreement required by the Kansas State Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The procurement plan, the board was told, documents the district’s purchasing procedures and will require public bid postings and extra documentation for products sourced outside the United States. Tracy Johnson, director of Nutrition Services, told the board the district must document foreign origin for many produce items and that some products commonly used—avocados, pineapple and frozen broccoli—come from Mexico, the Philippines or other countries. Johnson said the district will use the federal Paid Lunch Equity tool to calculate allowable paid meal price changes and that state guidance strongly advises, but does not require, annual increases in paid meal prices of up to 10 cents.

Johnson described other program details: elementary students will be allowed to charge up to four lunches, middle-school students up to three, and the high school generally does not allow charges though staff said they rarely deny a student a meal. The district will continue to offer free breakfast to all students, which Johnson estimated costs about $75,000 and said the nutrition department can absorb for the year.

Board discussion focused on technical compliance and review authority. One board member asked who conducts procurement reviews; Johnson said the Child Nutrition Department at KSDE performs reviews. A board member also asked whether a 10-cent increase is mandatory; Johnson said KSDE and USDA strongly advise the increase but do not require it.

The motion to approve the procurement plan, meal charge policy and meal price changes was moved and seconded; the board voted to approve the motion. Later in the meeting the board also voted to adopt the 2026 Child Nutrition Program agreement as presented.

The approvals require the president’s signature on the procurement document and reflect updated federal and state program wording, including links to discrimination statements, updated procurement and sodium-level language, and other minor verbiage changes required by KSDE/USDA guidance. Johnson noted the department’s most recent procurement review went well but identified areas requiring procedural changes.

The board’s actions change the billing/pricing documentation and reaffirm the district’s participation in the USDA/KSDE child nutrition programs; they do not set exact reimbursement rates (those were not provided at the meeting). The board did not specify dollar amounts for the planned meal-price increases beyond the procedural limit discussed.

The district will implement the updated procurement requirements and the program agreement as specified by KSDE and USDA; the district nutrition director will continue to report on compliance and procurement review findings.