Animas Public Schools seeks food service partner for 2026-27 year

Animas Public Schools is asking outside vendors to step in and run child nutrition services for the 2026-27 school year, a decision that could shape what breakfast and lunch look like each day for students in one of Hidalgo County’s smallest and most remote districts. The district says sealed proposals from qualified food service management companies are due June 23 at 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time, and late submissions will not be considered.

For families, the search goes beyond a routine purchasing decision. Animas says it currently offers free breakfast and lunch to enrolled students ages 18 and younger, and its nutrition page says many students travel long distances before arriving on campus. In a district where reliable school meals are part of the daily support system for working parents, the choice of vendor can affect meal quality, menu variety, service continuity and whether the program stays affordable for the district.

Proposal documents, specifications and instructions are available through the district website or from Hailey White, the district’s CPO, at hwhite@animask12.net. The district’s notice says the procurement is being handled under federal regulations, New Mexico procurement requirements and USDA Child Nutrition Program rules, underscoring that school food service is a compliance-heavy operation tied to nutrition standards, procurement law and reimbursement rules.

The district’s nutrition page identifies Nikki Peterson as food service director-nutrition specialist. Animas also says it qualifies for 100% free lunch for its students this year, which gives the food program an outsized role in daily student life, especially in a rural community where school cafeterias often serve as a steady source of meals rather than just an added convenience.

The stakes are clear in the district’s size and finances. NCES lists Animas Public Schools as a rural, remote district in Hidalgo County with 165 students, 14.48 classroom teachers and 30.03 total staff in 2024-25. NCES also reports $4.27 million in district expenditures and $1.094 million in operations, food service and other spending.

Hidalgo County itself remains sparse, with a July 2025 population estimate of 3,929, down from 4,178 in the 2020 Census base. In a place that small, even a food-service contract can ripple through daily routines, from how smoothly breakfast gets served before class to whether lunch reaches students on time.

Animas Public Schools’ Board of Education meets on the third Monday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the high school library, giving families a regular public forum to watch how the district handles the contract. The five-member board includes William Hurt, Dusti Conover, Jared Fralie, Kyle Josefy and Trina Kellogg. The district’s business office says it handles fiscal accounting for the schools and can answer questions about the budget or allocation of funds, a reminder that the food-service decision will be judged not only on meals served, but on how well it fits the district’s finances and day-to-day reliability.