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Cleveland board votes to end Sodexo contract and bring high-school, middle-school meals in-house
Summary
At a regular meeting the Cleveland City Schools board voted unanimously to end its contract with Sodexo and return food service for Cleveland Middle and Cleveland High School to the district's Child Nutrition Department beginning with the 2026'027 school year, the director of schools recommended.
Dr. Adler, the district's director of schools, recommended that the board not renew the district's Sodexo contract for secondary schools and bring Cleveland Middle School and Cleveland High School child nutrition back under the district's Child Nutrition Department for the 2026'027 school year.
Why it matters: The move ends an outsourced arrangement that began about six years ago and shifts operational control, menu decisions and staffing for secondary meals back to the district. Board members and staff said the change aims to respond to student feedback and align food services with district priorities.
What the director said: "My recommendation is that we transition for the 2026'027 and bring that back under our Child Nutrition Department for Cleveland Middle School and Cleveland High School," Dr. Adler told the board, summarizing a review that included student surveys and meetings with the nutrition supervisor.
Board action and vote: A board member moved to adopt the director's recommendation. On roll call the board recorded unanimous approval (all named board members responding "Yes"). The motion carried and the district will plan the transition for the coming school year. Miss Barry, the district's child nutrition supervisor, was present for questions and to support implementation planning.
Background and next steps: Dr. Adler said the district originally entered into the Sodexo arrangement about six years ago, renewed it after five years and had been operating on an annual renewal cadence since. He said district staff will work on the logistics of bringing operations back under district management; the board did not set an implementation timeline beyond indicating the transition target of 2026'027. The board did not specify budgetary figures for the transition during the meeting.
The board then moved on to other agenda items.
