Long‑time food‑service employee urges board to preserve local control amid vendor bid for director role

Kathy Lawson, a 25‑year food‑service employee, told the Thornapple Kellogg School Board she and coworkers were concerned about the district’s recent vendor solicitation for a food‑service director.

"A management company may provide a short‑term staffing solution, but it also creates a long‑term uncertainty," Lawson said, urging the board to consider the effect of privatizing leadership on hourly employees, morale and local programs. She cited a prior period of privatized food service in which the department had three different directors in five years and warned that local initiatives — including an in‑house hydroponics program and other revenue‑generating services — might not survive a standardized management model.

Superintendent Rob Pouch and administration described the current procurement as a request for vendor bids for the director position only and said the district has no requirement to accept a vendor proposal. "This is only a bid," Pouch said, adding the bid ‘‘has 0 impact on any of our food‑service staff or any other staff’’ and that the process is common among districts to secure expertise for heavily mandated functions.

Lawson and other staff said qualified local candidates are available and that the board should prioritize preserving local control and protecting employees and student‑facing programs. "Our hope is that whatever decision is made preserves local control, protects our employees, supports students, and keeps as many food‑service dollars as possible working directly in our district," she said.

The board did not take action on the solicitation during the meeting. Administration said it will continue to vet options and present findings to the board before making any contracting decision.