When they return to school next month, Carroll County’s students will have some new answers to the age-old question of what’s for lunch.

Chartwells School Dining Services was awarded the contract to provide food services for the Carroll County Public Schools Division during the School Board’s closeout meeting on June 26.

Before opting for Chartwells’ services, the school division also considered Sodexo and Aramark for the foodservice contract. Carroll County Superintendent Dr. Greg Smith said Chartwells’ inclusiveness of all aspects of foodservice made it the clear choice.

“Their approach to the foodservice as a comprehensive program that would entail not only the menus, the food selection, the nutritional program, the overall culinary service but also the cafeteria as an entire program, was what attracted us to their presentation and product,” Smith said. “They did a very nice job of presenting the cafeteria kitchen foodservice, nutritional program as a comprehensive package. That was an attractive presentation for the selection and evaluation committee.”

Smith said Chartwells brings more to the table than Carroll could provide otherwise, which was a key factor in deciding to bring an outside foodservice vendor into the county.

“One of the components we were looking for was the ability to provide resources we couldn’t provide on our own, an expertise in the culinary art of food service, the expertise in the nutritionist area, expertise in other facets of the foodservice industry that currently we do not have or possess but are needed within a food service program in a school service this size,” Smith said.

Chartwells President Keith Cullinan said the company will do its best in its service to those served by the schools.

“We’d like to thank the School Board for their confidence in Chartwells,” Cullinan said in a statement. “We pledge our commitment to the community, students, administration and associates of Carroll County Public Schools.”

In the statement, it was estimated that Chartwells will serve approximately 700,000 lunches and 300,000 breakfasts annually in Carroll County.

Renovations will be needed in the cafeterias at Carroll County High School and Carroll County Intermediate School. Other cafeterias will undergo small changes.

The contract is for the 2009-2010 school year, but Smith noted that it included four one-year renewal options that could extend the partnership to five years.

Smith also pointed out that all of the county’s foodservice employees will remain that and Chartwells’ association with Carroll has no bearing on their employment status.

“The employees of the cafeteria and foodservice program are the employees of the Carroll County Schools. That will not change,” Smith said. “They will maintain the same salary and benefits they always have.”

While the foodservice employees will remain, they will also have access to a specialist provided by Chartwells.

“They will bring, at their cost, a culinary expert that will be working with the managers and foodservice personnel to prepare the various items on the menus,” Smith said. “We will have someone on site that is a culinary expert that will be circulating to all the various schools at different times to train and model how the foods are to be prepared and presented to the purchasers or students.”