Investigation Into Problems With Lunches In New York City Schools Reveals Overspending By Department Of Education
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The New York City comptroller's office has revealed the results of its investigation into the serious issues with city school lunches.
Over the past several years, CBS2's Marcia Kramer has reported on sub-par and sometimes sickening meals served to students, as well as misspending by the Department of Education.
The comptroller's office found from the 2015-2018 fiscal years, the DOE spent more than half a billion dollars on food products called "approved brands" with no competitive bids or proposals.
They say that's led to some serious overspending.
For example, in 2018, the department spent more than $10 million on its "approved brand" of breaded chicken bites, an additional cost of more than $1.8 million. The competitive bid price difference was found to be 18% less.
The comptroller's report recommends, in part, implementing a written policy for approved brands and procuring food competitively.
Reining in the budget will be one of the top priorities faced by new schools chancellor David Banks.