LYNN — Following weeks of complaints from parents over the quality of food being served to their children in the public schools, the School Committee voted unanimously Thursday night to have the city solicitor investigate the district’s food vendor.
The investigation will determine if there are any breaches in the school department’s contract with food service provider, Revolution Foods, which was subcontracted to the school district through its primary contract with Chartwells.
Due to the abundance of concerns, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Patrick Tutwiler asked the committee for support in directing the city solicitor to investigate the contracts with Chartwells and Revolution Foods to determine if they failed in any aspect of the contract that the school system signed with them.
In his report later that evening, Tutwiler again addressed the food situation; he applauded community members for giving their feedback and encouraged them to continue to do so via a formal online forum that will launch on Friday. Through this forum, which will be available in multiple languages, families can provide feedback on the quality, freshness, or selection of meals.
A separate online form has been created to allow families to share any concerns related to food allergies their children may have; Tutwiler said this was created in response to food-allergy complaints the district has received with school food.
“In recent weeks, a number of families have demonstrated shared responsibility by thoughtfully giving feedback on their concerns related to the freshness and quality of food served, particularly on the elementary level,” said Tutwiler. “The feedback has come in the form of public comment and email directly to me and other members of the LPS administration. We always welcome feedback and view each instance wherein feedback is shared as an opportunity for collaboration toward improvement.”
Tutwiler listed a number of steps that have already taken place to address the complaints about the quality of school food. He said Revolution Foods has engaged in a full review of its quality-assurance methods. Cafeteria staff members were formally trained in the realm of quality assurance, he said. Representatives from Chartwells and the director of nursing met to ensure clear communication around any food-allergy scenarios in schools, he said.
The bulk of the complaints, some of which were repeated during the open-mic session that took place before Thursday’s meeting, have been around the freshness of school food. A parent petition that began circulating in mid-October and was filed at City Hall includes pictures of moldy food and students getting sick from their lunches.
Parents have taken issue with the lack of on-site kitchens at the district’s 18 elementary schools, which they say leads to a reduction in the freshness and quality of the food that is being served in the Lynn Public Schools. Revolution Foods ships prepackaged meals on a refrigerated truck to schools. Hot meals are reheated by school staff.
Sophia Seang, the leader of the parent group that has been calling for improvements in school lunches, summed up the group’s demands, saying that her group wanted “better, safe, and edible food,” for the students of Lynn.
She added that the mother of a Lynn student told her that due to the taste and smell of the meat, not even her dog would eat it. Seang also called for stricter inspection of school food.
“Everyone should have safe choices,” Seang said. “No more discrimination.”
Another parent also wanted to add a Halal — food that adheres to Islamic law — option for school-provided food, in order to better serve the diverse community of Lynn. One parent noted that she saw what she described as “blue mold” on the food provided by the school district. She added that she wanted to see more options in terms of meals at the school.
School Committee member Michael Satterwhite said he wanted to ensure that a full written report would be given following the investigation into the school district’s contract with its food vendors. Tutwiler responded by saying this was to be expected. Another concern came from committee member Brian Castellanos, who inquired about a projected timeline for the investigation.
“I ask that in respect to the families and the folks who have been working hard on this issue,” said Castellanos. “Suspense, the unknown — the holidays are coming around. It’s a stressful time, so having clarity on what due process looks like and to include a transparency feature to this process (is important).”
Tutwiler said the timeline remains unclear, since he does not know what the next steps would be after the city attorney’s investigation.
“In total, we view this situation as a collaboration,” said Tutwiler. “In any collaboration, it is important to identify what is common, or shared. Unquestionably, we all want the young scholars of the Lynn Public Schools served well and treated with respect in every aspect of their experience. The quality of the meals is a big piece of that experience. The desire to ensure that the meals are fresh, nutritious, and to the liking of our students is common or shared. We remain committed to that goal.”
