Hillsboro rejects food service bid

Board decides to keep its own employees to prepare food

By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Opaa, a food service company used by most Marion County schools, can scratch Hillsboro schools off its list.

School board members voted Monday to reject a proposal offered by Opaa Food Management because it came at a price board members weren’t willing to pay.

Opaa wanted a $71,000 contribution to provide food services for the district, and the board decided to keep its own employees to do the job.

Opaa, with headquarters in Missouri, makes food purchases and employs cooks who prepare food. Schools pay for meals served and collect from students.

Board members also took care of routine matters Monday. They voted to republish the 2017-2018 budget because special education costs were $5,000 higher and virtual education costs were $2,500 higher than expected when the budget was published originally.

They discussed pay rates for bus drivers.

Superintendent Max Heinrichs said area superintendents had discussed what bus drivers were paid, and Hillsboro’s pay was a bit lower than others.

The board changed the pay scale to a step-based plan for bus drivers.

Heinrichs suggested raises of 10 to 50 cents per hour for bus drivers next year.

“We would get more in line with what the other schools were paying,” Heinrichs said.

The board also voted to redeem bonds issued in 2008 earlier than anticipated, saving the school district $25,000.