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Trustees probe Chartwells food-service contract as participation dips; staff to follow up
Summary
Board members questioned staff about declining student participation in the district food service program under the current Chartwells contract and asked for benchmarking and cost-per-student information to evaluate whether to continue outsourcing or bring services in house.
Duval County School Board trustees on Wednesday questioned staff about the district's food-service management contract and declining participation rates in the school meals program, and asked for comparative cost and participation data to evaluate outsourcing.
The item under discussion noted RFP number 21-23/GW and the current contract with Chartwells. Staff told trustees the district is in year two of a five-year contract approved last year and that the contract term currently runs through June 30, 2026. Staff also said they have scheduled meetings with Chartwells' executive leadership to discuss participation and program performance.
Board members said they are worried that declining meal participation could jeopardize direct certification and federal funding streams if children who qualify for free and reduced‑price meals do not participate. One trustee said the district will not terminate a contract without giving the vendor an opportunity to cure and that contract language allows the district to do so "for all the right reasons." Trustees asked staff to provide comparable metrics from other large districts and a cost-per-student analysis that shows how much the district spends on food service under the contract versus in-house operation.
Several trustees suggested a workshop to analyze the rationale for outsourcing, the benefits and costs of in-house operations and how federal or state funding changes (such as a shift of federal funds to states) might affect long-term strategy. Staff agreed to return with additional information on participation trends, comparisons to peer districts and an explanation of the procurement rationale for multi‑year contracts, including expected pricing stability and administrative capacity considerations.
Ending
Staff said they will return with requested benchmarking data, participation statistics, contract details and options analysis so the board can decide whether to continue with the current five‑year arrangement or pursue a different procurement path.
