Urban School Food Alliance boosts its buying power

The Urban School Food Alliance has added three school districts to its fold, allowing the group to reach in excess of 3.6 million students and increasing its yearly purchasing might to almost $735 million, according to the alliance.

The three districts added to its roster are: Clark County School District in Las Vegas, the School District of Philadelphia and Baltimore City Public Schools. Those districts are the nation’s fifth largest, 13th largest and 36th largest, respectively.

“We recognize the collective strength of the Urban School Food Alliance districts,” Clark County School District FSD David Wines said in a statement. “CCSD believes in providing high-quality meals that are nutritious and delicious. The alliance embodies this vision and we are proud to be a part of this organization.”

The group’s aim to increase meal quality while decreasing the cost burden on districts has helped move the needle on serving antibiotic-free poultry in its member schools as well as phase in compostable plates, according to the alliance.

The Urban School Food Alliance, which was formed in 2013, initially consisted of the major school districts in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Dallas, Miami and Orlando, with Fort Lauderdale, Fla., later joining.

Related:Six districts form super alliance for school food purchases, best practices