District Signs Food Service to One More Year

With the promise of guaranteed profits, members voted to continue using Chartwells food service for the district's lunch program.

Board members agreed to sign a one-year contract Monday at the regularly scheduled Board of Education Meeting.

The contract guarantees the district $81,653 profit in food service from Chartwells.

The profits were based upon projection done at the beginning of the 2010-11 school year according to Gail Farrell, business manager for Trenton Public Schools.

Farrell said she did not have profits from previous years available at the time this article was published.

The decision to continue to use Chartwells was one that required additional information after the item was tabled at a June 13 Board of Education meeting.

Board members requested to find out if equipment purchased by Chartwells during the previous school year belonged to Chartwells or the district.

The portion of the contract that explains the terms and conditions regarding equipment purchased while under contract were read by Board President Dennis Bearden at the meeting. A full version of the terms can be found on the Trenton Public School website.

The contract states that Trenton Public Schools have final approval for purchasing of equipment not to exceed $73,000 to be used in the storage, preparation, and delivery of school meats.

The district owns the equipment at all times and pays for it over five years. If the district chooses to end its contract or chooses not to renew a contract with Chartwells, the district then has to pay for the equipment within 30 days of termination, among other possible repayment options.

"Essentially, the question before was, within the contract, was this a gift or was this something that was in fact a loan that we would repay and that if we terminated out relationship (with Chartwells), would we have to repay the amount," Beaden said. "And based on the language within the contract its pretty clear that the intent was that it would be a loan ... giving us the ability to pay it back over five years."

The contract that was renewed is an extension of the one from last year with no changes.