Lured by the promise of higher revenues, Keller ISD trustees opted to change the district’s food service management company for 2008-09.
Chartwells, the district’s food service management company for the last five years, was projecting revenue back to the district of about $471,500, while Sodexho estimated district revenue at $705,000. Sodexho was also posting lower management team expenses.
"In the current financial environment, I find it very hard to walk away from $280,000," said trustee Scott Brown.
Board members voted 5-2 to change from Chartwells to Sodexho. Bob Apetz and Cindy Lotton rejected the proposal.
Administrators had recommended that the district stay with Chartwells because officials are considering taking food service management in-house, just as they did a few years ago with maintenance and operations.
Two management transitions in the next two to three years could prove challenging.
Mark Youngs, deputy superintendent, said that the new company would bring in new management staff, assess nutrition, change marketing materials and buy groceries from a different vendor.
Many people would not notice a difference, officials said.
Students, staff and visitors will spend more than $10 million this school year on nearly 4 million meals in district schools. While enrollment growth for this year was about 5.5 percent, the number of meals served increased by 9.4 percent.
District officials said that Chartwells was doing a good job managing food service but Sodexho also has a good reputation. Southwest Food Service also bid on the contract, but the company has no experience in school cafeterias.
A committee of school principals, campus cafeteria managers, parents and administrators looked at the bids, and several members visited Leander ISD, a 26,500-student district north of Austin, Sodexho’s largest school client to date. The company also operates food services in Waco, Azle and Georgetown districts.
Apetz said he was inclined to stay with Chartwells because of the administration’s recommendation and because the company had done a good job, but he said Sodexho would probably provide good service, too.
Trustee Jason Wylie said the decision was tough, but he wanted to see higher revenues from food service.
Youngs said the administration was considering taking food service management in-house to reduce costs, but such a move would not happen for at least two years, after the opening of Timber Creek High School.
Wylie said they shouldn’t base their decision on something that may not happen. "To assume we will have two transitions in two years may not be valid."
Administrators are concerned that guaranteed revenues often decline after the first year of a new contract. Any revenues from food service go into a fund for food service equipment replacement. The fund is currently $1.1 million.