DCPS Food Service Management Company (FSMC) Transition:  

Frequently Asked Questions for Families 

1. Why is my school changing food service vendors?  
  • The DCPS FSMC contract term expired and per District and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requirements, a new procurement must be issued. The legal process requires an open and public competition based on the requirements of the procurement.  

  1. 2. How was this decision made?  

  • School sites are awarded to foodservice management companies by DCPS based on the scoring of vendor proposals by a Technical Evaluation Panel (TEP) and DCPS’ Office of Contracts and Acquisitions (OCA). The TEP consisted of DCPS employees with subject matter expertise in food services. A subset of students, parents, and school-based staff were also included in the taste test portion of the evaluation process. Bidder proposals are cluster-specific, so schools are awarded to bidders by cluster based on the TEP and Office of Contract and Acquisitions evaluation scores.  

  1. 3. What will happen to the cafeteria staff?  

  • You can expect to see new and familiar faces in your cafeteria! Additionally, the new vendor may choose to bring in additional staff to support each school’s operational needs.    
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  • 4. Will meal payment accounts be changing?  

  • No, student meal accounts and account balances will remain the same.  Meal payment accounts are still only needed for students at non-CEP schools.  Please see the instructions on the DCPS website here for more information on how to set up a meal account.

5. Will a new Free and Reduced Meal (FARM) application need to be submitted? 

  • No, you will not need to submit an additional FARM application. All eligibility statuses will remain the same through June 30, 2023. 
  • Would you like to submit a FARM application? You can do so here. 

  1. 6. Will a new dietary accommodation form need to be completed? 

  • No, all current dietary accommodations will be honored. We will continue to accommodate special diets we already have on file.  
  • For dietary accommodation questions or concerns contact: dietary.forms@k12.dc.gov  

  1. 7. Will all meal programs stay the same?  

  • Yes, all schools will continue to offer the same meal types at the same times. While the menus will be different across our providers, you can expect breakfast, lunch, snack or supper, and Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program to remain consistent at your schools. 

  1. 8. Where can I review menus? 

  • All menus will be posted here once available. Please bookmark this page to stay updated on monthly menu postings.   

  1. 9. Where can I find more information about my new vendor? 

 

 

  1. 10. For general questions and concerns not addressed on this FAQ, please fill out this inquiry form.