Misconduct Allegation Forces School District 112 To Switch Lunch Provider A Week Before First Day

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — A Highland Park school district was forced to abruptly change its food provider a week before the first day of school after state officials alleged misconduct.

Earlier this year, North Shore School District 112 conducted a formal Request for Proposal process to "identify a food service provider that could meet our needs." Prior to this year, the district had a contract with food service provider OrganicLife since 2018.

According to a letter sent to District 112's Superintendent Michael Lubfelfeld on Monday from the Illinois State Board of Education, during the process of looking for a new provider, district officials engaged in improper communication with Quest Food Management Services.

In text messages shared with Patch, Quest Senior Vice President of Client Development Finel Patel offers tickets to a Chicago Cubs game to Jeremy Davis, assistant superintendent for business services at District 112. Davis responded, "No, as I do not take tickets from vendors. But thanks for the offer."

Patel and Davis continued to converse throughout the process of getting a new food service contract approved, with Davis providing updates as developments continued.

The process concluded June 10, when ISBE approved the food service contract with Quest Foods for the upcoming school year. Following that approval, OrganicLife filed a protest with the Board of Education.

The district announced the new contract at a Board meeting that day, and Davis and Patel discussed their expectation for OrganicLife to attend the meeting.

"It'll be what it will be," Davis said.

"They can have a taco," Patel replied.

Following an investigation, ISBE rescinded its prior approval and instructed the district to terminate its contract with Quest immediately or federal funding would be withheld. The district was given five days to provide a corrective action plan to enter into an emergency one-year contract with its former provider, OrganicLife.

"These irregularities in their totality significantly undermine the appearance of impartiality and fairness, indicating that the procurement and/or resulting contract is not compliant with federal procurement requirements, and is contrary to open and free competition," the ISBE letter said.

ISBE went further, stating it would forward the matter to the Lake County State’s Attorney Office and the USDA Office of Inspector General for their review.

Quest said it accepts ISBE's decision and will collaborate with the district to make the quick transition easier, but it denied accusations of misconduct.

"While we recognize that minor procedural missteps may have occurred during our interaction with the District's food service RFP process, we vehemently refute any claims suggesting intentional misconduct or attempts to improperly influence the District’s decision-making," Quest Food Management Services President Nicholas Saccaro told Patch.

According to OrganicLife spokesperson Dave Smolensky, when the food service provider showed up to campuses Thursday, the kitchens at Edgewood and Northwood Middle Schools were in disarray. As part of its Long-Range Facilities Plan to modernize schools, District 112 renovated both middle schools, with construction at Northwood finishing in 2021 and at Edgewood in 2023.

In a letter sent to parents on Thursday, Lubfelfeld assured them that the district and the two food service providers are working together to ensure students will have meal service in place.

But when OrganicLife staff showed up to Edgewood Thursday, construction was not complete. Smolensky said no equipment in the kitchen was connected, the walk-in freezer was not on, and there was no serving line put together. At Northwood, the district installed a dish machine, but plumbing was not complete and equipment was not connected or assembled.

Smolensky said OrganicLife learned the district planned to only serve cold meals to students because Quest wasn't planning to serve any meals due to facilities being unusable in their current states.

"Despite additional emergency related costs, OrganicLife will mobilize its team to ensure D112 students receive high quality meals on day one. As a testament to OrganicLife’s unwavering commitment to the Highland Park community, any profits the food program generates this school year will be donated to the Highland Park Community Foundation," Smolensky said.