Our Treat!

Dyett High School has become a prototype for how the Board of Education attempts to disappear a neighborhood school. Community members have fought the phase out of Dyett, submitted an RFP for a new school, and have requested to meet with the mayor and CPS officials. Their request has gone unanswered by CPS and ignored by the media. The best CPS can do is schedule a meeting on September 15th, after canceling one on August 26th. Twelve community members in an already food-insecure neighborhood are now on day 8 9 10 of a hunger strike.

If CPS or the mayor ever deign to issue a response it will probably be a variation on the theme of, "We're broke," or, "Talk to Springfield!"

Yet, the newly re-linked 2015 Supplier Report shows just how much money Chicago Public Schools is willing to toss around for food (this list doesn't include anything less than $4,000.00), while repeatedly stating they're going broke:

Alonti Cafe & Catering:               $501,044.00
A Tale of Two Chefs Catering:        $8,000.00
A Taste of Class:                            $5,000.00
Ain't She Sweet Cafe:                   $18,807.00
All On The Road Catering:            $59,489.00
Amazing Edibles:                          $56,811.00
Bake For Me:                               $22,794.00
Beggars Pizza Franchises:              $18,409.00    
Biagio's Events & Catering:            $16,344.00
Blue Plate Catering:                       $21,635.00
Buona Catering:                            $12,121.00
Byrons Hot Dogs:                           $4,150.00
Carnitas Don Rafa:                       $37,786.00
Catering Out The Box:                  $28,880.00
Connie's Pizza:                           $144,191.00
Corner Bakery:                             $12,790.00
Corky's Catering:                        $189,715.00
Famous Dave's:                            $13,343.00
Falco's Pizza:                               $13,419.00
Food for Thought Catering:           $29,757.00
Gibson's Bar & Steakhouse:            $4,287.00
Hel's Kitchen Cetering (sic):            $7,810.00
Jason's Deli:                                 $39,370.00
La Catedral Cafe:                           $7,600.00
Lou Malnati's:                              $10,108.00
Lucky Strike Chicago:                    $6,839.00
Maggiano's:                                   $5,556.00
Marcello's Restaurant:                    $6,415.00
Panera:                                        $69,030.00
Perry's Pizzaria:                           $15,035.00
Pompei Bakery:                           $25,324.00
Potbelly Sandwich Works:            $81,546.00
Subway Franchises:                    $208,091.00
Sugarplum Catering:                     $17,647.00
Wishbone:                                   $52,224.00

Food total:                                $1,771,367.00

Yes, these totals likely include food enjoyed by students, staff, and parents at events, meetings or appreciation days. However, if CPS can afford to pay $1,771,367 for catered food then perhaps they can either (1) stop saying they're broke or (2) ask everyone to brown bag it for the foreseeable future in the service of adequately funded schools.