North Greene students will have a new food service operator this year.
The North Greene School Board unanimously approved Arbor Management, Inc. as the district’s new food service at their May 17th meeting.
Last year, the school district decided to outsource their food service in order to accrue cost savings. Organic Life was chosen as the district’s food service manager last year, but several parents and members of the district staff were less than happy with the food service over the course of the year. Organic Life’s contract was opted to not be renewed for the upcoming school year back in April.
The Greene Prairie Press reports that North Greene officials opted to put out another request for proposals and Arbor Management was the only company to bid for the service.
Organic Life’s one-year contract officially ends on June 30th with Arbor Management’s contract beginning the following day. Vice President of Operations for Arbor Management Kathy Tentler was reported as saying at the May 17th meeting that it’s her company’s intent to keep everyone at the district level employed with the exception of food service director. Arbor is in the process of finding a new director prior to the start of the school’s new fiscal year.
Arbor Management currently serves Alton, Canton, Midwest Central, Morton, Urbana, Rochelle, Mendota, Sandwich, and Illinois Valley Community College and according to the Greene County Press report, they are looking to grow their market in the Metro East. In all they serve, 55 districts around the state.
Arbor’s bid for the district was just over $797,000, almost $100,000 more than Organic Life’s bid from the previous year. Arbor’s bid is said to include all salaries and benefits for the district’s cooks.