Wrangell schools to weigh options for lunch

The Wrangell School Board voted 3-0 Monday to begin the search for a possible food vendor.

The motion approved by the board empowers school administrator Rich Rhodes to begin advertising requests for proposals in local publications. The district currently purchases and prepares all food served to students through a combination of grants and the school system’s general fund, Rhodes said. Allowing an outside vendor to provide the food could potentially lead to savings for the district, Rhodes added.

“I feel good that a food services management company could reduce the cost,” he said. “It presently costs more.”

Food vendors could be from large service organizations – Rhodes named Air Alaska as a potential candidate – or smaller organizations.

“If there’s a local restaurant or hotel, they could do it, too,” he said.

The process for obtaining a vendor – the board isn’t required to hire any of the companies who bid on the contract – would take the rest of the school year, according to a timeline proposed at Monday’s meeting. The timeline is set by the State of Alaska, and determines how long the advertisement must be posted, according to Rhodes. The process would conclude in early May 2014.

“My understanding is that this would be for next year,” said board member Rinda Howell.

The decision to pursue a food vendor also impacted another vote that night on whether to sign current food services manager Kim Wickman to a contract, or allow her to remain as an hourly employee. The board voted 3-0 to keep Wickman an hourly employee, after expressing concerns about whether a contract could interfere with the process of transitioning to a new vendor.

That decision comes with its own perils, particularly overtime concerns. Contract employees aren’t eligible for overtime, Rhodes said.

“Overtime is something we’re gonna have to keep an eye on,” he said.

In other business, the board voted 3-0 to accept Upward Bound and Carl Perkins grants, and hire administrators for those two grants. They also heard a presentation from shop teacher Drew Larrabee about the possibility of constructing a greenhouse outside the elementary school, and viewed draft plans put together by students at the high school.