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Chartwells presents feasibility study to MSD Shakamak Schools on outsourcing food services
Summary
Chartwells sales representative Kelly Deal presented a feasibility study at a public work session, outlining potential gains in participation, staffing support, local sourcing and a five-year contract structure; the superintendent said a formal RFP would be required and no decision was made.
Kelly Deal, a sales representative for Chartwells (part of Compass Group), told the MSD Shakamak Schools board during a public work session that Chartwells could help the district boost meal participation, streamline compliance and provide training and benefits to cafeteria staff.
"We want you guys to be in the kitchen to work your schools," Deal said, explaining Chartwells’ model of keeping local staff assigned to their schools while offering corporate purchasing power, registered dietitians and technology for menu compliance. She said Chartwells operates in 48 Indiana school districts and offers programs such as "Mood Boost," "Discovery Kitchen" and "Student Choice" to engage students.
The presentation included participation and fiscal examples: Deal said districts moving to a food-service management company typically see about an 8% increase in lunch participation and a 14% increase in breakfast; she reported the district’s current lunch participation at 55% and noted that CEP schools often reach 75–80% participation. Deal also said purchasing rebates and negotiated supplier pricing are returned to the district as monthly credits.
Board members pressed for operational details. Deal said Chartwells contracts are typically five-year agreements with annual renewal options and that a district can end the contract after the first or second year if the arrangement does not meet expectations. She described two staffing approaches: districts may transfer food-service employees to the management company (shifting liability and insurance) or retain them under district employment as permitted in the district’s RFP.
Deal outlined benefits for employees: Chartwells pays at least the district’s current starting pay and offers annual raises based on performance, and defines full time for benefits at 30 hours per week. She said the company provides compliance supports including dietitian oversight, nutrition-analysis tools and assistance preparing for audits.
On local sourcing, Deal said Chartwells encourages purchases from local farmers and processors when feasible and partners with regional distributors such as Piazza Produce to source area products. She also offered site visits to nearby districts that already work with Chartwells.
Superintendent (speaker 1) and board members thanked Deal for preparing a feasibility study at no charge and reiterated that the district must follow procurement rules; the superintendent said any agreement would require a formal RFP and competitive bidding before a vendor could be selected.
Next steps: Chartwells offered to provide more information and host visits; the board did not vote on any contract or direct staff to issue an RFP during the work session.
