Board approves Whitsons food-service renewal, awards haying RFP contingent on proof of performance and confirms several hires

The Missisquoi Valley School District #89 board voted unanimously to accept a proposed renewal with its food-service management provider and took several business and personnel actions at its May meeting.

Laura McAllister, identified in the meeting as the director of finance and operations, told the board the proposed renewal with Whitsons (contract documents still reference the Abbey Group) is the second of a possible four renewals. She said the contract permits an increase tied to the Consumer Price Index (food away from home) for the 12 months ending February 2026, which equates to an allowable cap of about 3.9%. Whitsons offered an average fixed-per-meal increase of roughly 2.54%; some category increases ranged from about 3.6% to 3.87% while summer food-service lunch rates were not increased, McAllister said. "We feel really great about these rates — our rates are low compared with others across the state and we can still invest in facilities," McAllister said. The board moved and the renewal passed with an announced 9-0 vote. (Laura McAllister, director of finance and operations.)

The board also discussed the Cassidy property — a roughly 20-acre parcel the district owns in Highgate — and an RFP to harvest hay as an interim use that would supply the district’s agricultural program. McAllister said the RFP requested 250 square bales and 20 wrapped round bales to be delivered to the district; in exchange the farmer would receive the first and third cuts and the remainder of the second cut. The district received one informal handwritten bid from James DePatti (DePatti family maple). Board members moved to award the RFP on condition that the administration receive written confirmation that the bidder can meet the delivery and bale-specification requirements. The motion carried.

On personnel, the board approved three hires recommended by administration: Keturah Rich, an early-childhood special educator who will be assigned to Madison/Swanton; Megan Carlson, a middle-school math teacher; and Brooke Durkee, an elementary classroom teacher. The hires were approved unanimously. (Names as presented by administration.)

Administrators introduced Jessica Johnson as a candidate for director of student services; Johnson described a background in special education case management and clinical mental-health supports and expressed enthusiasm for the position. The board made and approved an executive-session finding to discuss her contract and moved into executive session to address the administrative contract, inviting specified administrators to participate. The board did not announce a contract decision at the public meeting.

Why it matters: The food-service renewal locks in vendor pricing under a CPI-based cap and preserves a revenue/reimbursement structure the district uses to fund facility investments; the Cassidy property decision uses a district asset to support the ag program while avoiding direct fiscal outlay. The hires and the executive-session contract discussion are routine personnel governance items but affect classroom staffing and central-office capacity.

Next steps: Administration will secure written documentation from the haying bidder that it can meet specifications, proceed with the contingent award if validation is received, and conclude the executive-session contract discussion for the director-of-student-services role in closed session.