5 things: Compass files for temporary injunction from Texas attorney general

Each Friday I compile a list that highlights five things you probably missed in the news that week and why you should care about them.

Here’s your list for the week of Sept. 12:   

1. Compass files for temporary injunction from Texas attorney general
Compass Group is asking for a temporary injunction on a request for information regarding its contract with the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). UTA’s foodservice is managed by Chartwells. The campus’s student newspaper had put in a request for all information regarding the contract with Chartwells, and Compass asked the state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton, that the contract be redacted before being distributed. Paxton ruled against the redaction, saying the contract was not exempt from the Texas Public Information Act. Compass then filed the temporary injunction, saying the contract contained trade secrets, which could be used to undercut the company’s future bids.

Read more: Compass files request for temporary injunction to protect trade secrets

2. OK school district claims it was overcharged $425,000 by Sysco
Yukon Schools in Oklahoma says it was overcharged $425,000 on food from Sysco, according to an article on news9.com. District administrators say they will file a lawsuit to recover the money; however, Sysco, in a statement to new9.com, said it disputed the claim. Yukon’s superintendent said the overcharging happened when Sysco would quote one price during the bid process and then would charge more for the product on the actual invoice.

Read more: Yukon Superintendent: School District Overcharged $425K For Food Services

3. UPenn offers discounts to incentivize meal plan purchases
The University of Pennsylvania is offering a 5 percent discount at six campus eateries when students pay using declining dollars instead of other methods of payment. According to cr80new.com, meal plan purchases at UPenn had declined recently and this is one effort to encourage students to purchase meal plans.

Read more: UPenn incentivizes meal plans with discounted dining dollars

4. College senate passes resolution asking for more student input into food decision following elimination of mozzarella sticks
The Student Union Senate at Washington University passed a resolution this week that would ask for more student input on campus decisions, including those made in dining services. The resolution came about after mozzarella sticks and tater tots were eliminated from the everyday menu at one of the campus dining halls. Dining services removed the items to comply with parameters set forth for compliance with the Partnership for a Healthier America, and also because the university said the items did not sell well. To get the resolution passed, the senate’s dining services committee fielded a survey that included a question asking if students wanted to see these choices restored. Many students said they felt their autonomy was reduced when dining services eliminated the choices; others felt it wasn’t dining services' job to get students to eat healthier.

Read more: SU Senate passes Dining Services resolution 11-2

5. Delaware signs breakfast after the bell bill
Breakfast participation in schools lags behind that of lunch, and one reason is that students often don’t arrive early enough to go to the cafeteria for the morning meal. That’s where programs like breakfast in the classroom have become widely successful. Delaware is taking this one step further by mandating that schools that participate in the Community Eligibility Provision program offer an alternative breakfast option, such as breakfast in the classroom.

Read more: 'Breakfast After the Bell' bill to help serve more students

Bonus: When healthy eating positioned as rebellion to teens, researchers see results

Contact Becky Schilling at [email protected].

Follow her on Twitter: @bschilling_FM