Waukegan board authorizes one-year, renewable $8.06 million contract with Organic Life for school meals

The Waukegan CUSD 60 Board of Education authorized July 14 a one-year child nutrition contract with Organic Life LLC, allowing the superintendent to execute a contract with four annual renewal options and a projected first-year cost of $8,061,029.82, dependent on student enrollment and participation in USDA programs.

The superintendent's recommendation described the contract as a one-year base with renewal options. The motion to approve was moved by Mister Riddle and seconded by Miss Lensing; a roll-call vote passed the motion.

Board members emphasized monitoring and food quality during discussion. One board member said the district needs "a plan for consistent and continued evaluation of this food service program early on so that if we need to change and do another RFP, that we're able to do so in a timely manner," and administration replied it has a plan in place to check performance. Miss Lensing said the core concern is whether students will eat the food: "If our students are not eating the food, if a majority of that food is in the waste bins, it's not a good fit for our district." She urged collaboration and monitoring to ensure meals meet taste and nutrition needs.

Administration and staff explained the annual cost fluctuates with usage and that federal meal reimbursements offset a portion of the cost. A district official noted comparable annual totals in recent years and offered to pull annual financial reports to show historical food-service expenditures.

Staff who helped develop the RFP described Organic Life's proposal as more detailed and student-driven, with plans to engage students for feedback and run programs designed to increase meal acceptance.

The board voted by roll call to approve the authorization for the superintendent to enter the contract.

Next steps: administration will monitor the vendor's performance, schedule early check-ins, and return periodic updates to the board.