The Macon County Board of Education marked its June 30 meeting with a discussion and approval of food and produce bids for school lunches.
School Nutrition Director David Lightner said US Foods was the only bidder for food and supplies for the system, with Macon County Schools still having some of the highest fixed fees in the state at $6 per crate.
The school system enters agreements with companies like US Foods to purchase food through regional co-ops, like the Far West Co-Op that Macon County shares with Jackson, Clay, Cherokee, Graham and Swain counties. From there, the system purchases crates based on need. Lightner said MCS spent $1,337,602.48 with US Foods last year. While all counties in the co-op are expected to spend $5,209,304.50, the cost for the 2025-26 year is not currently known.
Lightner said he was exploring the option of leaving the co-op in the hope of finding better pricing. The board approved the 2025-26 bid.
“I think it served a purpose for a long time, and I don’t think it’s any longer serving that purpose,” Lightner said of the co-op.
Lightner recommended the board approve a bid from Foster Caviness, a produce wholesaler based in Charlotte, to supply the system’s produce. The board approved the bid, shifting away from the previously used August Produce, which was recently bought by another company.
According to Lightner, produce is too volatile a market to establish set pricing, so the county will get weekly pricing. Last year, the county spent $187,474.30 on produce. Lightner said he expects to purchase the same amount of food this year as last year.
“We’re not just looking at cost, we’re looking at levels of service, we’re looking at geographic preferences … how close the food was grown to us, whether they’re able to meet our delivery schedule,” Lightner said.
Student lunch pricing was approved at $4 per meal, and board members discussed how the system can better push for parents at Franklin High School and Highlands School to fill out applications for free and reduced lunches for students. Franklin and Highlands are the only schools in the system that must fill out applications. If more parents fill out the applications, the system can utilize more federal funding for school lunches rather than local funding, which can then be used for other programs or projects.
Students at all other Macon County schools receive free meals.
“I think the messaging could also be more clear that it is a gift from the commissioners that we can have these free meals,” said board member Hilary Wilkes, “but we need some participation … be glad for it, but do your part to make sure you’re filling out the forms.”
The board will further discuss how to supplement the cost of school lunches at the August budget work session.
Contract renewals
The Western North Carolina Driving School contract was renewed for another year to provide drivers’ education to students.
The board also renewed the system’s contract with Big Brothers Big Sisters, which seeks to connect older youth to help mentor vulnerable children in a community. According to Superintendent Josh Lynch, the program was not as effective last year in part due to internal communication issues between the system and the organization. He said that he and the organization had since worked out many of the issues and recommended moving forward with the contract.
“We have to coordinate with the parents, and that seemed to be the broken link,” Lynch said. “So, we have since tried to fix that and they have been very receptive and understanding of what they need to do on their end as well, so I think it will be better moving forward.”
The board approved some changes to the Cartoogechaye Elementary School handbook that clarified the student behavior plan, making disciplinary action more explicit, Lynch said. In addition, it approved the 2025-26 Bartram Academy calendar.
The board approved a proposal from Seven Oaks Supply to provide janitorial supplies to the system. The system will now begin developing a contract with the company.
Building updates
Academic Officer/Federal Programs Director Mickey Noe said preparations for the Pre-K classrooms in Highlands School are moving along as expected, with most of the required paperwork approved, all furniture ordered and playground equipment lined up. Noe added that whether the system will be able to meet the Jan. 1 enrollment date will depend on funding – whether the system allocates funding for both a teacher and assistant for the classroom and for the $8,000 to $10,000 needed to finish outfitting the classrooms before the final licensure date.
Project Manager Tracy Tallent said the Nantahala wastewater treatment plant has been refurbished, save for a tree that fell on the fencing around the plant, and that the project is entering its final stages for painting, and now, fence repair.
The next Board of Education meeting will be Monday, Aug. 18, at 6 p.m. in the board room at the Central Office on Old Murphy Road. The board will not meet in July.