Marion BOE selects new milk source
Citing lower cost, and a lack of support from the current supplier, Marion-Florence Unified School District board of education voted Monday to use a new dairy to provide milk, juice, and dairy products for local schools.
Officials said they weren't unhappy with distributor K&J Dairy of Marion, owned by John Kline, but with Steffens, the supplier.
For years, Steffens has been the sole bidder to offer milk and dairy products.
Superintendent Gerald Henderson said the district's complaints have increased in recent years. Milk has arrived in dirty cartons and sometimes is spoiled.
"That's a good way to get kids away from milk permanently," he said.
When the district called Steffens to complain, the company is unresponsive, he said.
"They've had a monopoly and they seem to know that," Henderson said.
The other bidder was Hometown Foods, Buhler. It supplies milk to several schools in McPherson County.
Hometown Foods had the lower bid in most areas except chocolate milk, the most popular option in schools. Hometown bid .2030 cents per half pint. K&J bid .1948 cents.
All bids are considered "adjustable." This means any fluctuations in raw milk costs are passed on to the customer.
The district spends between $10,000 and $20,000 annually for dairy products served to students and used in cooking.
Board member Bruce Skiles said it wasn't right to change bids now. The only ones to be hurt will be K&J.
"I hate to pull the rug out from under him," Skiles said.
Roger Hannaford III suggested the board let Kline inform Steffens that the bid will be lost unless service improves.
The vote to use Hometown Foods for the next school year was five in favor (Rex Savage, Gene Bowers, Keith Collett, Doug Sharp, and Hannaford), and one opposed (Skiles). Member Susan Robson wasn't present.
