Board awards food service contract to Abbey Group; approves $655,027 in surplus facility spending

The Missisquoi Valley board approved a one‑year food service management contract with the Abbey Group, with an estimated total contract price of roughly $1,400,000 based on projected participation and state reimbursement levels. Administration said two vendors submitted bids and the district followed a state‑reviewed scoring rubric; the selected bidder’s proposal was judged strongest on program consistency, staffing plans and local‑food offerings.

District staff also reported a projected FY24 surplus of about $1.9 million. The board approved using $655,027 of that surplus on a package of facility items identified by the facilities committee, including a Swanton PA system upgrade (revised quote now ~ $98,000 rather than the earlier $50,000 estimate), targeted HVAC and electrical equipment purchases, and door replacements across buildings. Staff noted price pressures and the benefit of purchasing sooner rather than later to avoid higher costs later.

Board members emphasized transparent communication about surplus spending and asked that the public materials explain why some projects were accelerated (for example, the timing and contractor availability for the PA system) rather than presented as discretionary cuts elsewhere.

Votes at the meeting included approval of the food service contract and a unanimous vote to allocate the $655,027 toward the listed projects.

Contract and procurement details
• Contract length: one year with up to four renewal options.
• Reimbursable meal fixed prices presented in the meeting included breakfast $2.41 and lunch $3.99; per‑meal figures are estimates tied to federal/state reimbursement and district participation assumptions.

Next steps
Administration will finalize the contract documentation with the Abbey Group and proceed with procurement steps for surplus‑funded projects according to the facility task list and vendor quotes. The board directed staff to keep the community informed about timelines and projected benefits of the selected investments.