Mokena SD 159 joins food-service co-op

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Updated: March 17, 2012 8:23AM

Mokena School District 159 will participate in a food-service co-op next school year in hopes of cutting costs.

The school board voted 4 to 3 last week to become a member of the Northern Illinois Independent Purchasing Cooperative after business operations director Kirt Hendrick and food services director Ann Lewandowski endorsed it over the present vendor, Gordon Food Services.

Hendrick said he spoke to more than a dozen of the 70 school districts in the cooperative and was told they saved up to 20 percent of their food-service supply costs in their first year of co-op membership. Lewandowski said she has “not been happy” this year with GFS, which has been the district’s vendor for about 30 years.

Membership in the NIIPC requires a one-time fee of $200 and an annual membership fee of $600, and the district can decide on a yearly basis whether to opt out, Hendrick said.

Patrick Markham, John Troy and Mark Franceschini voted against joining the co-op. Markham said it wasn’t clear how much the district would save and was concerned bid prices were not available. But board member Katherine Moore said membership in the co-op was worth a try, with the option to opt out lessening any risk for the district.

A similar item pertaining to several local districts forming a cooperative to bid on sealcoating projects was voted down unanimously.

In a nonaction item, Markham said the board should consider waving the participation fee for academic-based extracurricular activities such as National Honor Society and student council. Extracurriculars became fee-based before the 2011-12 school year.

“It’s absurd to pay 50 dollars for National Honor Society,” Markham said. “To charge sounds counterproductive to me.”

Board member Joseph Spalla said new expenditures shouldn’t be approved until the board knows more about the district’s finances.

“We don’t know the forecast of our spending,” Spalla said.

Meanwhile, Troy said the board would hold a special meeting at 7 p.m. Feb. 23 to give a presentation on the new “Strat Plan” it has approved. The program helps school districts with future financial forecasts. The meeting will be held at Mokena Elementary School, 11244 Willowcrest Lane.