Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
A divided Tucumcari Public Schools board barely approved the renewal of a contract with the district’s cafeteria food-service management company during a special meeting Friday.
Approval of the contract was slated during the board’s regular meeting on May 16, but board members voted to table a decision until they saw an evaluation sheet of the current company and two other bidders. That sheet wasn’t made available in the board’s information packet at the time.
On Friday, board members Matthew Pacheco and Bo Wallace voted to renew the K12 by Elior pact, Robert Lucero voted no, and Jerry Lopez and Heather Gonzales abstained, citing a possible conflict of interest.
Superintendent Aaron McKinney said the motion passed due to a majority of board members voting to approve.
Lucero said he would “like to see things changed” about the cafeteria staff. When asked to elaborate, he said he’d received complaints about the food and cursing among employees.
Lopez said he also received complaints about cafeteria staff, adding “it doesn’t look good.”
Food service director Eva Layne-Ryan acknowledged a few problems among employees.
“I’m aware there is friction,” she said. “There are personalities that clash.”
During the board’s previous meeting, Layne-Ryan also answered complaints about students running out of some food items.
McKinney also acknowledged some complaints but added Layne-Ryan was “very responsive” in addressing them.
He also asked board members if they received complaints from students or parents about the cafeteria to send them “up the chain of command” to him.