Charity Faces Job Cuts as School Lunch Contract Shift Occurs

A charity responsible for providing school lunches to three primary schools in Ashburton, New Zealand, will lay off up to eight staff members after losing out on a significant contract for the upcoming Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme. The contract winners, announced on October 27, 2023, by Associate Education Minister David Seymour, include major commercial players such as Pita Pit and Subway, while the Kai for Kids Charitable Trust was not selected.

The revamped school lunch programme, which aims to serve healthy meals to primary school students, will see prices rise from the previously promised cap of $3 to between $3 and $5 per lunch. This adjustment is attributed to the specific needs of various regions, including their remote locations and the sizes of the schools involved. This year, over 1,000 schools with more than 242,000 students participated in the programme, and an additional 188 primary schools are set to join next year.

Jo Taylor, manager of the Kai for Kids Charitable Trust, expressed disappointment at the trust’s exclusion, stating it was “heartbreaking” given their commitment to providing meals well-received by the community. Taylor emphasized that she had “never had one single complaint” about the lunches offered. She noted that many of the staff members who will be laid off are single parents and may struggle to find new jobs with hours that align with school schedules, as “those jobs are few and far between.”

The trust, alongside a few other local suppliers, submitted a collective bid to continue providing lunches under the new model. Although Taylor stated the trust was able to meet the $3 cost requirement, they had to make significant compromises, such as reducing portions and cutting items like yogurt and fruit. She remarked, “It’s pretty gutting … if we’re feeding children who need food support, they need a decent meal,” highlighting concerns about the nutritional quality of meals provided by larger chains.

While the trust can still offer free lunches to 14 schools and two kindergartens in Ashburton, this will now depend on community support and volunteers. Seymour acknowledged the challenges faced by existing providers but defended the decision to shift to larger suppliers. He stated that embracing commercial expertise and utilizing government buying power would generate an estimated $145 million in cost savings by 2026.

The current model, which involves multiple local suppliers, charges between $5.97 and $8.90 per meal for primary schools. Seymour praised the new suppliers for their experience and ability to deliver nutritious lunches, underscoring their commitment to providing quality meals every school day.

Critics, including Labour’s education spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime, argued that local providers are more attuned to their communities’ needs, citing examples of how smaller companies have adapted to challenges such as road closures. She stated, “For example, when floods close the roads, Café Mahia still finds a way to deliver lunches to two isolated schools in Wairoa. They have the know-how to deal with the unique asks of the region.”

The new suppliers selected for the Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme include:

– Appresso Pro Foods
– Montana Group
– Ka Pai Kai
– KDJ Catering
– Café Mahia
– Star Fresh
– University of Canterbury Student Association (UCSA)
– Knuckles (The Food Company)
– The Y Gisborne
– Pita Pit
– Subway

As the transition approaches, the implications of this shift will be closely monitored, particularly concerning the impact on local employment and the quality of meals provided to students. The future of community-supported initiatives like the Kai for Kids Charitable Trust remains uncertain as the government prioritizes cost efficiency in public spending.