Школа округа 112 в Иллинойсе утвердила контракт с поставщиком Quest после протестов конкурента

The Illinois Board of Education has reviewed and approved North Shore School District 112’s new food vendor contract with Quest, a year after controversy forced the district to select a different vendor. Last year, food vendor OrganicLife successfully protested D112’s decision to award a food contract to Quest Food Management Services, with the ISBE sending an unusually forceful letter noting irregularities with the district’s contract process and repeating accusations of misconduct. OrganicLife was awarded an emergency contract. This year, OrganicLife again submitted a protest to disqualify Quest, but was seemingly unsuccessful. In this year’s protest, it argued Quest should have been disqualified on several grounds, alleging it had sent a letter to the district’s evaluation committee past the deadline, accusing the district of altering evaluation scores to put Quest ahead, and alleging issues with Quest’s references. Nick Saccaro, chief executive officer at Quest Food Management Services, said in a statement that the company is “thrilled” to be providing dining services for the 2026-27 school year. “The committee made an informed decision through its rigorous evaluation process, which is a reflection of our fresh, scratch-made meals, customized dining plans, and outstanding client service,” Saccaro said. “We look forward to serving the students, staff, and families in District 112 in the fall.” Previous controversy Last year, OrganicLife accused the district of changing the deadlines for taste tests, contacting Quest and other vendors through unofficial channels to encourage them to participate in the taste test after the original deadline, various issues with the scoring matrix, and an alleged incident of bribery. Various changes had been made without amending the request for proposals, without seeking the ISBE’s consent, and without informing all potential bidders of the changes, OrganicLife’s legal representatives said. Following the protest, the ISBE sent a letter to D112 Superintendent Michael Lubelfeld rescinding its prior approval and cutting off previously approved federal funds until the district ended its contract with Quest and entered a one-year emergency contract with OrganicLife. ISBE’s letter pointed to “substantial ex parte communications” with Quest, offers of gratuities or benefits from a prohibited source during procurement, and “material departures” from the RFP’s stated terms. It also named Jeremy Davis, the assistant superintendent for business services, alleging “several other questionable actions” taken by him and the district. “These irregularities in their totality significantly undermine the appearance of impartiality and fairness, indicating that the procurement and/or resulting contract is not compliant with federal procurement requirements and is contrary to open and free competition,” the letter said. After last year’s controversy, Lubelfeld promised to conduct an “independent investigation” into its RFP process. But the findings of that investigation — including any potential issues — have not been publicly released, and district staff leadership and board members have declined to provide more information. Still, Davis has left the district, though it is not clear whether it is related to the accusations of misconduct he faced.