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Tri‑Creek renews Chartwells contract; district and vendor flag rising costs and watch meal pricing
Summary
The board renewed Chartwells School Dining for 2025–26, accepted a vendor presentation on menu and participation trends and discussed that rising food and operational costs may require a future increase to meal prices.
Tri‑Creek School Corporation trustees on March 13 approved a one‑year renewal with Chartwells School Dining for the 2025–26 school year and heard a district and vendor presentation on meal participation, equipment needs and rising food costs.
Why it matters: The district has not raised student meal prices since 2019 and staff and Chartwells representatives said food, labor and equipment repair costs have increased substantially since then. Administration said the district’s food service fund balance remains healthy but is trending downward as costs rise; staff recommended monitoring the fund monthly and returning with a meal‑price recommendation if needed.
Presentation highlights
- Chartwells representatives showed comparative pricing against 13 nearby districts and said Tri‑Creek’s paid lunch price ($2.17) trails the local median (about $2.78). They reported average food‑cost increases of roughly 10% per year since 2019 (about 40% cumulative) and noted aging kitchen equipment at elementary sites.
- District staff said increasing participation in paid meals has driven volume but not enough to offset rising costs; the vendor indicated a 25% price increase would generate roughly $63,000 in extra revenue, part of which could cover employee pay increases and future equipment replacements.
Board action and next steps
The board approved the Chartwells renewal (management fee adjustment per contract CPI clause). Administration said it will continue to monitor food‑service fund balances monthly and bring a recommendation on meal pricing in May or June if financial projections suggest a need to raise prices.
Ending: Chartwells and district staff said they will continue to work together on menu offerings, sports‑nutrition options and reasonable pricing strategies to balance affordability and sustainability.
