RFQ 2026-003 Consulting Services Child Nutrition

Santa Maria Independent School District
Request for Qualifications
Consulting Services - Child Nutrition
RFQ#2026-003
Issue Date: April 20, 2026
Submission Due Date: May 4, 2026
The Santa Maria Independent School District is accepting proposals as specified in this
document. Sealed proposals will be received until 2:00pm CST on Monday M a y 4 th, 2026
at the Santa Maria ISD Administration Offices located at 11119 Military Road, Santa Maria,
Texas 78592.
Any questions or requests for additional information related to the specifications of the proposal
should be directed to Amanda L. Najar, Business Manager at (956) 565-6308 or
amandanajar@smisd.net.

RFQ#2026-003
INTENT TO BID
Fax or email, this page only, if solicitation was not faxed or e-mailed directly to your company. All other solicitation
documents must be enclosed in a sealed envelope and mailed to the Purchasing Department.
This page is required if solicitation was downloaded without receiving an invitation by the District.
Please complete and email the purchasing coordinator or FAX: 956-565-0598 immediately in order to be added to the
vendor list and receive addendum or updates regarding this solicitation. It is the intent of the Business Office to ensure
that all interested vendors receive addendum's or updates, but it will be the vendor's responsibility to check the Business
Office site periodically. If there are addendum's posted on the site and your company has not been notified by fax or e-
mail, it will be the vendor's responsibility to download from Purchasing site and make sure to include with their packet.
The Santa Maria ISD Webpage at https://www.smisd.net/departments/business-finance/purchasing
Amanda L. Najar
Business Manager
amandanajar@smisd.net
PHONE: 956-565-6308
FAX: 956-565-0598
NAME:
TITLE:
STREET ADDRESS:
STREET ADDRESS 2:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP CODE:
WORK PHONE:
FAX:
EMAIL:
WEBSITE:

BACKGROUND: Santa Maria ISD is comprised of 3 schools - Tony Gonzalez Elementary
School, Santa Maria Middle School and Santa Maria High School. The District has 3 cafeterias -
Tony Gonzalez Elementary School, servicing Pre-K - 5th, Santa Maria Middle School, servicing
6th - 8th, and Santa Maria High School, servicing 9th - 12th. Total enrollment for the district is
approximately 490 with the following student allocation estimates:
TG Elementary School (PreK-5th) - 216
Santa Maria Middle School (6th-8th) - 103
Santa Maria Early College High School (9th-12th) - 171
PROPOSAL & SCOPE: Each participating firm shall submit a written proposal, detailing
the manner in which consulting services will be provided and the objectives set forth in this RFQ
shall be achieved.
SITE VISITS & PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: There will be no scheduled pre-proposal
conference held.
PROPOSAL ACCEPTANCE & CONTRACT AWARD: Santa Maria ISD reserves the right to
accept or reject any and/or all proposals. The District may reject any proposal not accompanied
by data required by the RFQ. Conditional proposals will not be accepted.
Award shall be made to the firm with the most advantageous proposal when taking into
consideration the evaluation factors set forth in the sections that follow and including the
overall long-term value to the District. There is no obligation on the part of the District to award
a contract. Any contract awarded will be awarded to a single firm.
FEES & OPERATING COST: Fees will be considered a part of overall operating cost.
Operating cost will be viewed as one of a number of component determinants of overall best
value and will be considered in accordance with the criteria established herein.
ADDENDA: Any changes or revisions to this RFQ will be issued by Santa Maria ISD to all
firms on record and will be posted on the District's website. Each firm is responsible for
incorporating all the latest addendums into their proposal.
OPEN COMPETITION: Santa Maria ISD encourages free and open competition.
Specifications and proposal terms and conditions are designed to meet this objective, consistent
with the necessity to satisfy the needs of the District.
NON-COLLUSION: Submission of a proposal guarantees that the proposal has been
prepared without collusion with other firms and without effort to preclude the District from
obtaining the best possible competitive value. The firm certifies that neither its officers nor its
employees have bribed or attempted to bribe or influence in any improper manner any officer,
employee or agent of the District, and that the firm has disclosed any known beneficial

relationship between a District official and the firm.
WITHDRAWAL OR MODIFICATION: Any proposal may be withdrawn in writing prior to
the submission deadline. Any proposal not withdrawn prior to the submission deadline shall
constitute an irrevocable offer, for a period of 90 days, to provide the goods and/or services set
forth in the attached specifications, or until a selection has been made by the District. A proposal
may not be withdrawn or modified following the Submission Deadline.
ERRORS: Santa Maria ISD is not liable for any errors or misinterpretations made in responding
to this RFQ.
INSPECTION OF FACILITIES: It is the responsibility of each firm to become fully informed as
to the nature and extent of the work required and its relation to any other condition,
including possible interference from academic or other activities.
INQUIRIES & INTERPRETATIONS: If proposer for proposed work is in doubt as to the
true meaning or intent of the RFQ, proposer must submit a written request for interpretation
by no later than April 22, 2026 directed to:
Santa Maria ISD
Attn: Amanda L. Najar
11119 Military Road, Santa Maria, TX 78592
amandanajar@smisd.net
The District will attempt to provide adequate clarification to specific questions directly to the firm
submitting the question. All interpretations or clarifications considered necessary by the District
in response to a proposer's request will be issued by written Addenda.
Oral and other interpretations or clarifications will be without legal effect. Only questions
answered by formal written Addenda will be binding.
The District is not liable for increased cost or other consequence resulting from the acceptance
of verbal direction by a participating firm.
EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS: Pursuant to Section 44.031 of the Texas Education Code,
the District will evaluate various factors to determine which company or individual to contract
with, to include, but not limited to the following:
the contract price;
the reputation of the Contractor and of the Contractor's goods or services
the quality of the Contractor's goods and services
the extent to which the goods or services meet the District's needs
the Contractor's past relationship with the District
the impact on the ability of the District to comply with laws and rules relating to

historically underutilized businesses
the total long-term cost to the District to acquire the Contractor's goods or services;
whether the Contractor or the vendor's ultimate parent company or majority owner:
(A) has its principal place of business in this state; or
(B) employs at least 500 persons in this state; and
assessment of the firm's experience and expertise
assessment of the firm's assigned personnel's experience and expertise
completeness of submitted proposal
SELECTION: It should be noted that a low proposal will not necessarily be selected. The
District will use these criteria to award in the best interest of the District. The District reserves
the right to reject any or all proposals or any part of any proposal. Selection shall be made of
one firm deemed to be fully qualified and best suited among those submitting proposals on the
basis of the evaluation factors identified above. As stated herein, the District may cancel this
RFQ, reject proposals or any portions thereof at any time prior to an award, and is not required
to furnish a statement of the reason why a particular proposal was not deemed to be the most
advantageous. Should the District determine (at its sole discretion) that only one firm is fully
qualified, or that one firm is clearly more suitable than the others under consideration, a contract
may be awarded to that firm.
NEGOTIATIONS: Final negotiations may be conducted with the selected firm in order to
insure the best overall program design and to achieve the best business arrangement for the
parties.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: If special accommodations are needed in order to
attend meetings or to accomplish building site visits, please contact the District at least one (1)
week prior to the event to insure such accommodations.

PROPOSAL CONDITIONS
CONTRACT TERM: The successful firm will be awarded a contract with an initial term of
twelve months.
After the initial term the District reserves the right to automatically extend the contract
for two successive terms of one (1) year thereafter upon mutual written consent by both parties.
Extending the contract implies doing so under the same terms and conditions, unless otherwise
mutually agreed to by the parties. Any additional terms and conditions to the contract shall be
in writing and agreed to by both parties.
APPROPRIATION: If funds for the services provided under the contract are not appropriated
in a given District fiscal year, the District may terminate the contract upon 30 days' notice.
PERSONNEL: The District will directly employ food service staff and determine duties of their
assignments. All other consulting service employees will be employees of the selected firm.
The District shall consider the intentional employment of unauthorized aliens by the selected
firm in violation of U.S. immigration laws cause for unilateral cancellation of any contract
resulting from this RFQ.
All employees of the selected firm must undergo a criminal background check prior to beginning
work. No employee with a felony conviction or a conviction of a sex crime, crime of moral
turpitude or any crime against a child may be employed. The District will be furnished proof of
criminal record background checks upon request.
ASSIGNMENTS & SUBCONTRACTING: No part of an awarded contract may be assigned
or subcontracted without prior written approval of Santa Maria ISD. Payment can only be
made to the firm stated in the awarded proposal.
PRICING: Monthly invoices may be submitted by the selected firm at the beginning of the
month in which the services are to be provided.
Start Up - Pricing will include all costs associated with startup of services.
Adjustment for Changes in Service - An adjustment based on change in services or scope will be
negotiated between the parties and will be effective upon the change.
Other Changes - Unionization, minimum wage increases, tax rate changes, mutual decisions to
alter staffing, and other similar circumstances will be considered reason for review and/or
negotiation of new contract pricing.
REGULATORY COMPLIANCE: The selected firm must be licensed to do business in the State
of Texas and comply with all related regulations governing the services provided.

DISCLOSURES: Proposer shall note any and all relationships that might be a conflict of
interest and include such information with proposal.
ASSIGNMENT: Assignment of contract may only be made to an affiliate or wholly-
owned subsidiary of the selected firm with advance notice to be provided to the District of
such Assignment.
NOTICES & AMENDMENTS: All notices and amendments must be in writing.
FORCE MAJEURE: The contract may contain a provision limiting obligation and liability
due to catastrophe or other force majeure.
TERMINATION: Any contract resulting from this RFQ may be cancelled by either party upon
90 days' notice without cause or upon 30 days' notice for cause, except that the contract
may be cancelled upon 10 days' notice if the cause is non-payment.
JURISDICTION: This agreement will be construed and governed in the state of
Texas.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT: English is the recognized language used in the District.
Although it is not a requirement that all of the selected firm's employees speak English, it is
a requirement that the overall supervisor and the lead person be able to speak, write and
understand English, in order to properly understand and communicate instructions. All written
instructions, including Material Safety Data Sheets, posting of notices, etc., will be provided in
both English and Spanish.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION: Proposal documents are to be submitted in (a) sealed
envelope(s) or box(es). Please indicate with the response the name of the firm, contact
person and contact information. The District reserves the right to request additional copies or
information without cost or to duplicate information submitted as required for the purpose of
evaluating the proposals.
Proposals should be mailed or delivered to:
Santa Maria ISD
Business Manager
11119 Military Road
Santa Maria, Texas 78592

Email and faxed proposals will not be accepted. Late proposals will be returned unopened.
PROPOSAL FORMAT: Proposals should provide a straightforward, concise description of
the capabilities of the firm and must satisfy at least the basic requirements of the RFQ.
Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content. The response should be
formatted in the following major sections, which may be placed in any order:
Summary: The Firm may, but is not required to, provide an executive
summary.
Company: This section should include information about the firm, its
qualifications, its legal status as a partnership, corporation or other,
number of years in business, number of current school contracts with
name address, and contact information for each, and should also
include references.
Organization: This section should include the firm's proposed on-site organization,
including staffing information. It should also include any information
on individuals who may be assigned to the operation.
Financial: This section should include proposed pricing for consulting services
as outlined in Program Requirements. Pricing should include an annual
cost and the amount to be billed each month.
Operations: This section should include operational information concerning the
method of service delivery, including programs and management.
This section should also include the firm's startup and transition plan.
Safety and Security: This section should include the firm's Background Check Procedure,
Uniform & ID Policy, and Key Distribution and Control Procedure.
Quality Assurance
Program: This section should include the firm's Inspection Procedures,
Customer Complaint Resolution, and Customer Survey Examples.
Adjustments: This section should include the firm's plan for adjusting services for
school holidays and for adjusting services in the event of emergency.
Litigation: This section should describe any litigation currently pending against
the firm within the past 5 years that the firm has been in business.

PROPOSAL EVALUATION
EVALUATION CRITERIA: Proposals will be evaluated and contract award made based upon
the proposal that is determined to be the most advantageous when taking into
consideration the evaluation factors set forth in the sections that follow, including the overall
long-term value to the District.
PERFORMANCE INVESTIGATIONS: As part of the proposal evaluation process the District
may make inquiries and investigations, including visiting sites or obtaining verbal or written
references from the firm's customers, to determine the ability of the firm to provide service.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Type of Service: Food Service Program - Consulting Services
Consulting Services
Regular on site consultation by a qualified food service team member.
Training for Santa Maria ISD Cafeteria Manager/Child Nutrition Director.
Occasional site visits by food service support professionals specializing in:
o Nutrition
o Marketing and Procurement
o Culinary Training
o Food & Physical Safety
o USDA Nutrition regulations
Regular and on-going support in the following areas:
o Review and create monthly USDA approved menus and menu development
o USDA required production records and portion control training
* Compliance with food safety requirements
o Compliance with USDA program regulations
o USDA commodity utilization
o Review program for improvements and needs for upcoming school year
o Order guide training for ordering
o Detailed cost analysis
o Review what training needs to take place
o Review current staffing levels and make recommendations on efficiencies
o Review marketing plan with new concepts
o Strategic planning with administration team
o Pricing strategies and professional recommendations for improvements

o Reimbursable meal training
o Onsite training with staff
o Weekly support and TDA program updates
o Employee training
o A la carte set up and support
o Financial training for managers and staff
o Proven success of consulting with school districts
Recommendations to the District in regards to the following:
o Staffing levels and productivity analysis
o Free and reduced meal program management
o Meal program pricing
Optional services that may be quoted and considered:
Purchasing Co-op Membership/Participation
POS (Primero Edge, etc.)
Signature signage and marketing implementation for each cafeteria site
Servsafe Training for Managers
Additional assistance available based on per diem cost mutually
Services will not include:
Purchasing - Santa Maria ISD will continue to purchase and pay for food and supplies
Free and reduced application processing and claims management
Employment of food service staff - all food service employees shall remain employees
of Santa Maria ISD.