Members question MySchoolBucks fee and Sodexo deficit plan while approving August bills
Summary
The committee approved $1,449,875.69 in August bills but members pressed staff on a $165,000 contractor payment, transportation entries and a new $6,400 district charge from MySchoolBucks tied to state fee caps; staff said the district will research alternative payment options.
The Foster-Glocester School Committee moved to approve monthly bills dated 08/01/2026–08/31/2026 totaling $1,449,875.69 after committee members raised several line-item questions.
One member pressed staff about a roughly $165,000 payment to an engineering contractor for water‑heater work and whether the work is complete; staff confirmed the work related to the line item and clarified partial payments where applicable. Another questioned a transportation charge for Hopkins/LaSalle and staff reviewed the packet line‑items during the exchange.
School meal services with Sodexo were discussed at length as members reviewed the vendor—'s deficit-reduction measures, such as a breakfast cart and menu compliance. A committee member objected to an unanticipated fee now being charged to districts for MySchoolBucks platform costs, saying: "They're trying to charge us $6,400 because the state passed a law... and we signed a contract with them, and that was not in the contract." Staff replied that MySchoolBucks ties into the point-of-sale system and that some costs previously borne by parents are now being billed to districts; members asked staff to investigate alternatives (Venmo, Cash App, ACH) and to bring findings to a future meeting.
The committee approved the bills after the clarifications; members agreed to add the MySchoolBucks/vendor review to an upcoming agenda so the district can explore options and seek state-level assistance if appropriate.
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