Aramark’s food service agreement with Plainfield School District 202 is ending May 22.

District 202 has partnered with Aramark since 2014.

About 170 employees will be affected, said Richard Engstrom, assistant superintendent of business and operations for District 202.

However, the new provider – OrganicLife – may hire these employees.

“It is common practice during a transition between food service providers for the incoming company to offer employment opportunities to existing staff, particularly because they are already familiar with the community and district operations,” Engstrom said.

He said Illinois school districts outsourcing their food service programs and participating in the National School Lunch Program go through a competitive bid process or a Request for Proposal process.

“Recently, the district initiated an RFP process with the goal of enhancing the overall dining experience for students,” Engstrom said. “During the evaluation process, Aramark submitted the highest-priced proposal, coming in approximately $1 million higher than the district’s recommended provider.”

District 202 plans to transition to the new provider “pending the recommendation of the Business and Operations Department and approval by the Board of Education on May 20,” he said.

The transition from Aramark to OrganicLife should be a smooth one for students, staff and family members, since District 202 plans to work closely with both providers, Engstrom said,

“We are very excited about the opportunity to partner with OrganicLife, given their strong reputation and successful history within the market,” Engstrom said. “We believe this transition will provide an enhanced dining experience for students while continuing to maintain high standards for food quality, customer service, and operational support across the district.”