Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Procurement Contracts topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
LSU Laboratory School cleared to outsource cafeteria operations to Chartwells
Summary
The commission approved LSU Laboratory School’s request to amend LSU’s master contract with Chartwells to outsource cafeteria services, citing multi-year losses and staffing challenges; Chartwells agreed to interview existing staff but five classified positions may be displaced.
The State Civil Service Commission on July 1 approved Louisiana State University Laboratory School’s request to amend LSU’s master contract with Chartwells Higher Education and outsource cafeteria operations, a measure the school said would stabilize finances and staffing.
Rob Liles, director of the University Laboratory School, told commissioners the cafeteria has run financial losses in fiscal years 2022–25 and has been unable to staff a full kitchen since the pandemic. The school serves just over 1,400 students and about 800–900 meals per day; Chartwells’ proposal is a cost-plus arrangement that leverages LSU Dining’s purchasing and staffing resources.
Liles said the school could realize an almost $30,000 profit in the FY26 pro forma under Chartwells’ proposed expenses and that the vendor has agreed to interview each of the nine employees in the current cafeteria staff. The commission’s staff and commissioners pressed the school on economy versus efficiency, the structure of the cost-plus contract and whether there are hidden fees; Liles and staff clarified that the presented pro forma includes a 5% management fee to Chartwells and asserted there are no additional undisclosed charges.
One commissioner noted concern about precedent for cost-plus contracts but accepted the legal pathway: LSU already holds a cost-plus exemption and the lab school operates under LSU’s School of Education and board. Commissioners moved and seconded the request and approved it; the record shows no objections.
The commission’s role in this review was limited to determining whether classified employees would be displaced and whether the contract is being let for legitimate economy and efficiency purposes rather than discrimination. Chartwells’ interviews of current staff were described as part of mitigating employee impact; the transcript records that none of the current employees had yet interviewed with the vendor. The motion passed without recorded objections.
