School Board Renews Chartwells Contract, Discusses Federal Funds for Healthy Meals

students will be encouraged to select healthy options this fall as the district seeks federal reimbursement for school meals.

The Board of Directors April 12 approved a service agreement with Chartwells, a division of Compass Group USA, to provide food services at an increased rate to the district’s five schools, which lead to discussion of new regulations for federal reimbursements under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

The one-year Chartwells contract runs from July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013.  This is the third annual renewal and third year the district will use the company’s services. The district projects a surplus of $26,798 to be returned from government reimbursement.

The contract includes a per-meal cost increase of $0.05 for breakfasts and lunches. Chartwells management fee will increase 1.7 percent from $0.1195 per meal to $0.1215. Prices on the a la carte menu will also rise slightly.

Chartwells District Manager Skip Daino told the board the cost of food has increased and noted new regulations for federal funding. He projected that the district would get about $9,600 in federal revenue based on the number of meals estimated. Chartwells Director of Dining Services Gail Hollenbeck was also present at the meeting.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, signed in to law December of 2010, authorizes funding for federal school meal and child nutrition programs, increases access to healthy food for low-income children and gives the USDA authority to set nutritional standards for all foods regularly sold in schools.

Regulations require that meat be served in every breakfast, which directors said would not be a significant change. Lunches consist of five components: protein, grain, fruit, vegetable and a liquid. (The district contracts with Wawa for milk.) Students need only take three of these for the district to receive a $ 0.06 reimbursement per meal but, starting this October, students must have a fruit or veggie on their plate for the district to be in compliance with federal code.

So Chartwells management is brainstorming for ways to persuade students to select healthier options so lunches can be claimed for reimbursement. Diano said the company could pair a vegetable on a platter with a cheeseburger, for example, so that a student would get the healthy option needed to get federal revenue.

Director Donald Cadge suggested surveying students to see which fruits they prefer in order to cut waste. He said something they could carry for later, like apples or bananas, might make for less waste than applesauce, for example, that would be tossed if not eaten when served.

Superintendent Dr. James Capolupo noted that overall nutrition and health is related to student performance, which he said is most important.

More information on the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act is in the attached PDF document.