Cafeteria workers ask school board not to outsource their jobs

AMITY, Pa. — The Daniel Boone School Board is soliciting bids for a food services management company to replace the district’s current cafeteria workers, effective July 1.

Board President Richard Martino said Thursday the school district will consider the best option for its students and district operations, including outsourcing its food service.

Even if an outside company is hired, the district’s cafeteria workers could be hired by the new foods services management company, Martino said.

The district’s food services have been managed by Sodexo Operations LLC, Gaithersburg, Md., since 2010. That contract included the provision that it “may be renewed by mutual agreement for up to four one-year periods.”

Martino said the board’s finance committee recently directed the school board to solicit bids by April 30 from Sodexho and other companies and with and without the current cafeteria workers included in the bid offers.

He said the workers are not included in the current Sodexo contract but are district employees.

“We’re paying pension costs for them,” said Martino.

A recent board presentation indicated that the district’s current pension costs are $5 million. The preliminary calculation for 2015-16 is a little more than $6 million.

Martino said the business office and district administration are evaluating and negotiating all of the options and the associated costs, including the best food quality “conducive to the kids,” food costs, and “researching what is the best option for us.”

The support staff contract the includes the cafeteria workers expires June 30.

“No one is really managing them (the cafeteria workers),” said Martino. “We want the company [that is selected by the school board] to have full responsibility for the employees.”