Kingfisher Public Schools students will have a different option for food this year - and more of them.

Board of education members voted last Monday to approve a contract with Taher Inc. Food Service to be the district’s food service management provider in 2024-25.

Taher replaces Opaa! Food Management Inc., which had been the district’s provider for a dozen years.

“This decision was made following a thorough review process and in recognition of Taher’s commitment to providing high-quality food services that meet the needs of our students and staff,” wrote Superintendent David Glover to Shauna Strub, Taher’s vice president of business development, to inform her of the district’s decision.

Glover was unable to attend Monday’s meeting due to an emergency.

Pam Werner and Dawn Tollefson from the administration office answered board members’ questions about the move.

Among the benefits of the move is cost to the district.

Opaa! was bumping up the charge per lunch to $4.5768 with its bid.

The Taher bid was $4 per lunch.

(Ed. note: The price for student lunch is increasing from $2.65 to $3 this year.)

Another benefit is for the district’s food service staff…as in actual benefits.

The food service management provider employs the kitchen staff from the district.

Werner said Taher offers benefits to employees on top of increased wages, which was not something Opaa! provided.

She said Taher will offer more fresh fruit and choices for the lower grades. They’ll also utilize the entire kitchen and have two serving lines, which will speed up the serving time, Werner added.

Students in grades 4-12 will have three choices for lunch.

“So far they’ve been extremely good to work with,” Werner said.

Added Tollefson: “They seem very eager to please and get involved with the kids and the principals to make a better lunch.”

It will also provide a chef to be on-site on days when grilled food is served.

Taher is based in Dallas but has offices in Sapulpa. The chef is from Piedmont, Werner said.

Tollefson said it was her understanding that Taher will offer an on-site director “where before with Opaa! we had a floating director that we shared with multiple schools.”

In other action Monday, the board updated district policy regarding student automobile use.

The new policy will allow students not yet in high school, but who have a driver’s license, to drive and park at school.

The former policy only allowed for students in grades 9-12 to “drive a motor vehicle to and from school for any and all school days and/or school events.”

The change became necessary as schools are seeing an uptick in students with farm driving permits.

Effective Nov. 1, 2023, the new state law allows those from 14 to 17 years old who live or work on a farm to be eligible to apply for the permit, which allows them to operate any Class D motor vehicle with restrictions.

Among the allowances, according to the state’s website: “If you reside on a farm, you can take the most direct route to or from work and school for school instruction only.”

Kingfisher Junior High Principal Chris Farris said he had to deny some students last school year “because of the board policy.”

The new policy also allows those students who are licensed to drive motoradditional cycles to do the same.

“In order for them to be able to drive to school, I was going to go over the board policy on the parking lot, where they should park, how they should park, have them sign it, have their parents sign it, then make a copy of their driver’s license,” Farris told the board.

Other action Monday saw board members approve multiple annual moves, including:

• A resolution to transcript computer, math and science courses taught at Chisholm Trail Technology Center;

• An agreement with Michael Swisher Media LLC to allow broadcasting of district events; and

• A contract with Oklahoma CareerTech for secondary career and technology education programs.

Board members also gave approval to an amended transfer capacity list and multiple fundraisers for school programs.

(Ed. note: The board made multiple personnel moves during the meeting, which were noted in the Wednesday, Aug. 7, edition.)