Community Consolidated School District 21 renewed its contract with food service partner OrganicLife, entering the third year of its four-year renewal cycle with the provider.
The contract is next up for bid again for the 2025-2026 school year.
“OrganicLife has been an excellent partner,” said Micheal DeBartolo, assistant superintendent for finance and operations. “It has contributed to efforts to support students and teachers in improving their experiences during school events and staff development. OrganicLife has gone above and beyond what many food service companies would do in order to support the district.”
According to DeBartolo, “the district and OrganicLife continue to work together on getting our finishing kitchens project done next summer in order to bring fresher, healthier and more appetizing offerings to our students.”
The increase to the district this year is larger than in past years, but that is due to increased costs the food service provider has been experiencing.
“While the costs have been greater to us and to OrganicLife, we have not passed these onto students or their families,” DeBartolo added. “OrganicLife has also been upgrading its offerings and service during a time when food costs and labor costs are at all-time highs and availability of food is at an all-time low.”
In speaking with the provider, OrganicLife and the District constantly consult about costs and pricing. Should the market go down, the two sides work together, even in the midst of a current contract cycle, to try and find effective solutions to combat the larger, total cost. “That is why this relationship is so effective,” according to DeBartolo.
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