Illinois school districts could change the way they solicit food contracts for school meals under a new bill in Springfield.
As state law stands, Illinois school districts participating in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National School Lunch Program are required to accept the lowest bid for their food contracts. Oftentimes that means districts can't push for better options since vendors know the lowest bid wins.Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth, D-Peoria, is sponsoring a bill that would carve out exemptions from those procurement requirements for schools, much like has been done for transportation services.
The bill, HB4813, unanimously passed out of the Illinois House's Elementary and Secondary Education committee last week and could be called for a vote before the full House. She said Sodexo, the district's current vendor, has been responsive to concerns, but there's undoubtedly room to grow. One of the options Desmoulin-Kherat's team is considering as they seek input from families is whether to take food services in-house. But the ability to negotiate for fresher, higher-quality products could allow for a better contract, she said.
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