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Proviso 209 trims holiday tournament costs and pursues USDA Farm-to-School grant
Summary
Board members were told the district cut the holiday tournament budget from $117,193 last year to $52,290 this year by shifting staffing to administrators and students and bringing in food vendors. Separately, staff described a proposed USDA Farm-to-School partnership with the Real Food Collective to launch mobile markets and student learning labs.
Proviso Township High School District 209 officials told the board that the district has substantially reduced the budget for its December holiday tournament and is pursuing a USDA Farm-to-School grant to expand fresh-food access and student learning.
Unidentified Speaker 6, presenting the finance packet, said the district spent $117,193 on the tournament last year and is "proposing this year to spend $52,290," calling the roughly $62,000 reduction the result of shifting staffing to administrators and students, bringing in food vendors and moving from printed tickets to wristbands. "We're looking anywhere from 75 to $100 a day," the presenter said of vendor fees, and noted the district will still budget for limited paid positions such as courtside statisticians and officials.
The presenter said security will remain funded at $18,000 and that some maintenance and operations costs (for example, floor resurfacing) will be handled from regular operations budgets rather than the tournament line.
Separately, a team seeking a USDA Farm-to-School grant described a proposed partnership between District 209 and the Real Food Collective. Speaker 9 said the grant would "launch mobile farmer markets to bring fresh locally sourced food to school campuses and our community sites" and create a hands-on learning lab for students in culinary arts, business, health and sustainability.
Roberto, identified as the district nutrition coordinator, said the Real Food Collective runs the Maywood Farmers Market and would operate the mobile truck, while the district would provide space and student engagement. He added the program could include hydroponic "pods" — "a nominal fee of $5,000 for each pod," he said — that could grow vegetables for use in school kitchens.
Board members asked how costs would be maintained at the end of any grant; Roberto said the Real Food Collective would operate the truck and the district's ongoing costs would be limited to providing space and student programming. The Farm-to-School presentation emphasized student career and market-operation experience alongside community access to regional foods.
The board did not take a vote on either item during the meeting. Staff said the tournament budget items will be used for planning and that the Farm-to-School grant will be pursued through the grant application process.
The board is scheduled to consider related action items at upcoming meetings.
