Peoria Public Schools and its food service provider Sodexo are forming a local advisory committee to oversee decisions regarding student meals in the district. Local Sodexo General Manager Mark Streamer presented the plan to the board at Monday night’s meeting. Formation of the committee comes just weeks after the Peoria Federation of Teachers shared photos on social media of moldy cheese sticks in student lunches.
The committee, which Streamer hopes to have up and running by the end of the month, will be made up of students, parents, and district staff.
“This is something that is supported by the USDA,” said Streamer. “This supports the district’s commitment to community engagement and bringing the community into what we do.”
Streamer also reaffirmed to the board that “physical and food safety” is of utmost importance to Sodexo, and that the company has been awarded numerous times by the Peoria Health Department for its local safety practices.
The recent scrutiny of Sodexo goes beyond just the quality of the food in student meals to include questions on the quality of service. The complaints, which have primarily been spearheaded by the Peoria Federation of Teachers, also cast doubt on Sodexo’s ability to serve hot meals to students while COVID-19 mitigation measures are in place.
“We have started a social media campaign with regards to lunches,” said Peoria Federation of Teachers President Jeffrey Adkins-Dutro. “We want hot, healthy lunches—not just lunches that aren’t moldy.”
After the district’s first week back with full in-person, daily attendance, Superintendent Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat said while issues around student meals and other logistical concerns are still being addressed, she was impressed by the resilience of both students and staff.
“It does take a lot of work (and) a lot of planning to get...marked spots on the cafeteria tables and in the cafeteria itself to provide the distancing that's needed during lunch,” said Desmoulin-Kherat. “I would say a big win for us (is that) we’ve seen an increase in attendance, and we have seen an increase in student performance.”
Also at Monday night’s meeting, At-Large Peoria City Council member John Kelly presented a plan for a residential tax abatement.
The plan outlines a 10-year abatement for owner-occupied, newly-constructed homes built in the North Valley, Averyville, and Far South Side neighborhoods of Peoria. For the first six years of the program, residents would receive a 100% abatement followed by a tapering tax rate for the final four years.
The board requested more information at the conclusion of Kelly’s presentation and will be revisiting the topic at a later date.
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