Montgomery officials announce limited hot-lunch rollout at high school as Chartwells details supply, staffing problems

Montgomery Township School District officials and representatives from Chartwells, the district's food-service contractor, told the Board of Education at its Sept. 2021 meeting that the district will begin limited hot-lunch service at the high school as soon as this week, but that ongoing supply‑chain and staffing problems will constrain options and timing for other schools.

Superintendent McLaughlin, introducing student and parent concerns about school meals, said the district had received “numerous emails and complaints” about lunch quality and that she had arranged for Jim Gillespie, Chartwells’ regional manager, to brief the board and the public.

Chartwells' Jim Gillespie and on-site manager Patty Percheski described the factors behind the early‑term problems and the immediate plan. Gillespie said Chartwells served roughly the same number of meals in the first 12 days of the school year as the district served in the same period in 2019 — about 33,000 — but with about half the staff: “We’re serving the same amount of food with half the manpower.”

Why it matters

Nearly all students in the district are receiving free meals under the federal Seamless Summer Option (SSO), which pays a federal reimbursement to the district for each reimbursable meal. That program and pandemic-era precautions have changed how food can be prepared and served, affected the district’s ability to replicate pre-pandemic hot entrées and limited some monitoring systems used to track student allergies, Chartwells officials said.

What Chartwells said and what will change

- Chartwells confirmed the district joined SSO for 2021–22, meaning all students receive free breakfast and lunch and the district is reimbursed by USDA for reimbursable meals. Gillespie said the USDA reimbursement for a reimbursable lunch is about $4.25.

- Supply-chain problems affected early menus: initial service used commodity deli meats and major national brands while vendors adjusted orders placed in June. Gillespie said a Boar’s Head delivery took nearly eight days to arrive in quantities large enough to serve the district.

- Staffing is down districtwide; Chartwells reported about 20 food-service employees across the district versus roughly 40 in September 2019. Chartwells is offering signing bonuses to recruit staff.

- The district and Chartwells will begin limited hot‑sandwich service at the high school this week (Chartwells said Thursday was a target) and said students there will move quickly through a serving area with masked line behavior to limit contact time. Chartwells said initial hot items will focus on chicken products and pizza, which it described as the most popular items.

- A point‑of‑sale (POS) system that previously displayed student allergy information is not yet fully restored. That complicates allergy monitoring; Chartwells said without the POS system the contractor cannot reliably identify student allergies at checkout. Chartwells staff said they will try interim labeling and posting of ingredients, but stressed logistical limits tied to current staffing levels.

Parent and student concerns

Students and several parents told the board that lunches served early in the year were low in variety and, in some cases, in perceived quality. Student representative Joyce Webb said students were wearing masks and adapting but reported complaints that “for kids with allergies, it’s very hard to see what is . . . palatable for them.” Parent speakers described dated or bruised produce and, in one case, four cartons of out‑of‑code milk found in a single case. Gillespie said the contractor filed complaints with suppliers and the district reimbursed the cost of the milk.

Volunteers, local sourcing and menu upgrades

Board members and parents offered help: Chartwells said it has used parent volunteers in other districts to package meals and would welcome volunteer support if the district supplies it. Gillespie said Chartwells can purchase higher‑quality products if the district chooses to fund them, but that federal reimbursements to the district would not increase; any additional cost would be borne by the district.

District response and next steps

Superintendent McLaughlin and board members acknowledged the complaints and said the district will take steps to improve communication and oversight. The board president said the Chartwells contract and payment amount would be posted to the district website; the board president also said the district pays Chartwells $112,000 annually for management. Chartwells said its management fee is a flat monthly rate and that the district, not Chartwells, receives any program profits or losses.

Chartwells committed to bringing a revised menu proposal and to start limited hot service at the high school within days if principals can facilitate service area changes; the district said it will form an ad hoc parent/staff food committee to advise on quality and options.

Quotes

- Chartwells regional manager Jim Gillespie: “We’re serving the same amount of food with half the manpower.”

- Student representative Joyce Webb: “For kids with allergies, it’s very hard to see what is . . . palatable for them.”

- Gillespie on staff effort: “I can’t tell you that the Chartwells team on the ground in Montgomery School District is doing the best that they can do to meet the needs of the students in the community of Montgomery.”

Ending

The district and Chartwells framed the early problems as the product of pandemic-era safety measures, national supply shortages and lower staffing. Parents at the meeting pressed for faster fixes; the board said it will convene an ad hoc food committee and asked Chartwells to return with menu options and cost estimates for higher‑quality offerings.