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CLARKS SUMMIT — The Abington Heights School Board welcomed Director of Food Services Joanne Pesota to its April 1 work session meeting to discuss plans for the school cafeterias.
Pesota is retiring at the end of this school year after 35 years of service to the district.
The district plans to either hire a new director of food services as an employee of the Abington Heights School District or outsource its services to a food management company.
According to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Mahon, the district received three proposals from food service management companies and interviewed five candidates to serve as its director of food services.
The board approved a motion to appoint Pesota, Mahon and Business Manager James Mirabelli as Food Service Selection Committee members; however, the school board will make the final decision.
“We need to have to whole process finished within the three weeks,” said board president Cathy Ann Hardaway.
According to Mirabelli, should a food service management company be chosen, all current food management employees in the district would retain their jobs.
“It’s not a company coming in and taking over the entire operation” Mirabelli said. “It’s really a company coming in to replace some of the responsibilities of an individual position. We would pay for everything the same way with the exception that the company would buy the food and then charge us for it.”
While Pesota believes the job can be done well by a director of food services, she believes there is some risk.
“If you were to hire someone, you always have the liability of making sure they are honest, reputable and purchasing and reporting correctly,” she said. “I wouldn’t have any concerns about (the food management companies) reporting or following guidelines. This is their business, but they are a for-profit company and their first priority is to make a profit.”
Mahon believes hiring a food management company would offer the district more opportunities to increase revenue.
“Our own person would not have all of the resources available that a large company would have,” Mahon said. “We’ve been doing it very nicely, but I think this presents an intriguing opportunity and we would have a year to experiment with it.”
The board tentatively plans to approve the final 2015-16 budget on June 24. A preliminary budget approval is scheduled for May 20.
“I think in my 15 years as a superintendent, this is going to be the hardest year (to pass a budget),” Mahon said. “The volunteer board members are being put more and more in a vice every year, but I’m totally confident we’re going to work together and come to the best possible solution.”
The district currently has eight vacant positions for the 2015-16 school year (three high school math, one high school guidance, one elementary music, one middle school science, one high school physical education and one K-4 elementary teacher).
“We are going to be talking at great depth and length about each of these positions,” Mahon said. “I don’t think we are going to fill them all. We are going to fill some.”