Maynard School Committee Awards Three-Year Food Service Deal to Whitsons

MAYNARD -- April 4, 2025, Maynard School Committee unanimously approved a three-year food service contract with Whitsons Culinary Group and authorized final edits to a public override forum presentation. The 4-0 vote, taken at a special Friday meeting held via Zoom, awards Whitsons the district's food service contract for fiscal years 2026 through 2029, with a guaranteed annual payment of $8,000 to the district, a shift from the prior contract, which guaranteed $10,000 only in its first year with no guarantee thereafter. Chair Natasha Rivera noted that Whitsons was the sole bidder after acquiring former competitor Fresh Picks, calling the lack of competition "a disadvantage" for the district. The committee also voted 3-0 to authorize Rivera and member Mara Hogan to finalize a plain-language public forum presentation for an April 8 community event centered on a proposed $1.1 million Proposition 2½ override, the first school override request in Maynard since 1991, with a final budget vote set for May 8 and the override election expected in late April.