Warren County Schools is seeking to consolidate its group purchasing cooperatives in an effort to reduce the cost to provide students with nourishment.

Consideration is being given to entering into the Tennessee Volunteer Cooperative, also called VOLCO, with several other school districts.

“We’ve been in cooperative agreements before for commodities but never this one,” said Director of Schools Bobby Cox. “This is a cooperative buying agreement with other school districts. It will be with Bedford County, Coffee, Dickson, Fayetteville City, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Lincoln, Lewis, Manchester City, Marshall, and Stuart. What it will do is allow us to buy cheaper because we’re bidding collaboratively.”
Cox presented the measure before members of the county Financial Management Committee.

Purchasing cooperatives are used to reduce costs. At this time, Warren County School Nutrition is currently involved in Commodity Cooperative Group, Bread Buying Cooperative Group, Milk Cooperative Group, and Food Cooperative Group. All the current cooperative groups involve different districts. VOLCO would replace all the current cooperatives.

Total expenditures for 2016-17 for food products was $1.3 million. Warren County School nutrition foods are purchased using federal funds. The funds are used in all food service programs: breakfast and lunch.
The measure must be presented to the Warren County School Board for its consideration.

“This hasn’t gone before the School Board yet,” said Cox. “I wanted to see if we had committee approval to do it before taking it to the board. I looked through it. I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. We’re in cooperative agreements now for commodities. If it enables us to buy at a lower price, I’m good with doing it.”

Financial Management Committee members approved entering into the cooperative.