Last spring, the USD 465 Board of Education selected Taher as the new food service company for the district. When school began in August, students and staff shared complaints and frustrations about the new service provider.

“As someone who has practice everyday, this is not enough food to get me by until dinner,” Adalia Brazil, sophomore, said. “It seems like elementary portions.”

Jesse Johnson, Food Service Director for Taher, Inc. at Winfield, responded to this issue in a letter sent to parents and students in the district via email.

“While not every step of the transition has been smooth as the company would like, please know that we continue to strive each day for improvement,” Johnson said. “Meeting the needs of the district and the students is our top priority.”

Staff members who eat school lunch daily provided mixed opinions on Taher’s improvement since the beginning of the year.

“The food is better, for sure,” Joe Wood, health sciences teacher, said. “They haven’t run out of food, it tastes better, and there is less processed foods.”

Maria Rios Jean, Spanish teacher, sees room for continued improvement.

“There is no variety,” Jean said. “There’s always a burger, and always pizza. I had lunch two times in a row and it was pasta both days.” 

Despite numerous attempts, Taher did not respond to requests for comment.