The recent replacement of Taher Inc. as Shawano School District’s food service provider has given some employees and parents volcano-grade indigestion.
Supporters of the food service company, which is based in Minnetonka, Minn., packed the board room at Wednesday’s School Board meeting and presented board members with copies of an online petition started July 4. The petition had 106 signatures, with 13 listing out-of-state addresses and another 10 listing addresses outside Shawano County.
The School Board voted 7-1 on June 17 to end a 10-year relationship with Taher and approved a bid from A’viands. A’viands is based in Roseland, Minn., and was ranked by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal as one of the top 50 growing private companies.
Cheri Schellinger, a staff member at Olga Brener Intermediate School, said the petition was evidence that Taher had support from the schools and the community. She said Taher has provideD students with multiple meal choices while still keeping within recent nutrition guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that tightened up food portions and limited foods with poor health value.
“Taher has provided excellent food service over the last 10 years and should be reinstated as the primary food management company for the district,” Schellinger said. “We would like to provide Taher Inc., with the opportunity to continue the positive dietary practices at Shawano School District.”
Schellinger noted that many students came to school on Monday mornings hungry because they did not receive enough food over the weekend, and she credited Taher with helping to improve overall health.
Schellinger said the petition would have likely had more signatures if there had been more time between the time it was launched and this week’s meeting.
“I think you’re making a mistake not keeping them here,” Schellinger said.
Jennifer Schmidt, administrator for the district’s summer school program, noted that her son had a food allergy, and Sarah Moesch, Taher’s site manager for Shawano, went out of her way to accommodate him.
“The conversation ended with her offering to go over to Olga Brener and talk to my son, Austin,” Schmidt said. “She took him down to the lunch room and introduced him to the Brener food staff personally. She made sure he was not embarrassed and explained how easily he could communicate with the food service ladies without anyone else knowing.”
Many of the petition signers included supportive comments for Taher with their signatures.
“Taher has provided healthy options within the budget,” Megan Pyatskowit said. “Every year, it has improved, and my children have enjoyed the new healthy options.”
Taher’s influence extends beyond the schools, as well, according to Wendy Crawford, director for Leadership Shawano County.
“They have provided excellent meals and service to Leadership Shawano County over the years. They support our community and area vendors and nonprofit organizations, as well,” Crawford wrote on the petition.
The School Board had the food service agreement as a topic for its closed session Wednesday. No action was taken, and board members requested more information, according to Superintendent Todd Carlson.
Carlson had no further comment on the matter.
The board voted 7-1 in June to sign a five-year contract with A’viands, rejecting the recommendation of a nine-member administrative panel that wanted to retain Taher through 2018.
A’viands estimated its revenue would be $1.47 million in its first year, and its expenditures would be $1.26 million, with a fixed fee of $39,900. Taher also projected $1.47 million in revenue but estimated expenses would be $1.23 million; its fixed fee was $34,000.
A’viands estimated a profit of more than $165,000 for its first year, $51,000 more than Taher, but that guaranteed return is contingent on a 10-cent increase in meal prices and the company’s ability to negotiate with Reinhart’s Food Service in Shawano to provide food.
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