OAK PARK : School Lunch Pact With Firm Renewed

Despite complaints about the quality of meals, the board of the Oak Park Unified School District voted to renew the district’s school lunch contract with Preferred Meal Systems West for a third year, but only after receiving a wider range of menu selections.

The board didn’t have much of a choice. Preferred Meal Systems was the only bidder for the contract.

“They’ve been very cooperative,” Supt. Marilyn Lippiatt told board members Tuesday. “They did say they would be responsive to any concerns that come up.”

The district will pay Preferred Meal Systems 91 cents a meal, an increase of 2 cents from last year. Lippiatt said it was the first price increase since Preferred Meal began supplying some or all school lunches.

The district sells the lunches, with milk, for $2.

Board member Jim Kalember said the low interest among bidders may indicate that the school lunch program is not viable.

Lippiatt said the district is too small to entice other food companies. Last year, the district sold an average of 257 lunches and breakfasts a day, according to figures.

School lunch sales dropped under Preferred Meal, and some board members and parents blamed a limited menu and food quality. The company provides frozen, prepackaged lunches that are heated on-site and served. Mexican food has proven to be especially unpopular in the district.

The school district used to prepare lunches in its own kitchen but lost thousands of dollars every year, officials said. Under the Preferred Meal contract, the school lunch program has almost paid for itself.