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Board renews food‑service contract and hears student‑nutrition program report showing growth and a small surplus
Summary
Rio Rancho Public Schools renewed a fixed‑price renewal with Southwest Food Excellence and received a presentation from Student Nutrition leadership showing increased participation (about 1M breakfasts, nearly 2M lunches) and roughly $12M in program revenue with a $2M surplus in 2025–26.
The Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education on June 8 approved the renewal of the district’s fixed‑price food‑service contract with Southwest Food Excellence and heard a detailed presentation from Student Nutrition Executive Director Felix Grigo showing growth in participation and program revenues.
Grigo told the board the department and partner Southwest Food Excellence served more than 1 million breakfasts and almost 2 million lunches in 2025–26, generating about $12 million in revenue and incurring roughly $10 million in expenditures, leaving an approximate $2 million excess in program funds that are reinvested in the nutrition program. "We've served over a million breakfasts, almost 2 million lunches," Grigo said as he summarized year‑over‑year participation growth.
At the meeting staff recommended and the board approved the annual renewal in the district’s four‑year contract through June 30, 2029. The renewal applies CPI‑based fixed price adjustments for meals: the district noted example rates of $4.21 for lunch, $2.66 for breakfast and $1.27 for snacks after the renewal adjustment. The memo presented to the board explained the contract structure: a fixed‑price per‑meal arrangement that covers staffing, product and program administration and is intended to preserve federal program compliance without using district operational funds.
Program highlights and next steps
- Nutrition compliance and awards: The department reported meeting PED Healthy Universal compliance and earning New Mexico Grown recognition for local procurement efforts; Grigo said the district also received a New Mexico Grown Sprout Award for farm‑to‑school work.
- Initiatives and facilities: The department has implemented tower (hydroponic) gardens at pilot schools, rolled out a Prov Chef program for elementary students, and placed menu monitors in secondary cafeterias to speed service. Facilities upgrades this summer include new refrigeration at select elementary kitchens and capital outlay work at middle‑school kitchens.
- Contract renewal specifics: The board approved the renewal and staff said the district will continue to monitor menu quality, scratch cooking targets (50% scratch‑cooked meals under Healthy Universal rules), and federal compliance. Grigo emphasized the program operates without using general‑operating funds and that federal/state reimbursements cover meal operations.
The board thanked nutrition staff and Southwest Food Excellence leadership for program innovations and community outreach. The renewal motion carried and staff will proceed with implementing the updated fixed‑price terms.
