The troubled food vendor for D.C.'s public schools is pulling out of its contract with the city, possibly leaving schoolchildren without a food supplier this fall.
Chartwells School Dining Services informed the D.C. Council in a letter Tuesday that it was pulling out of the contract. Company president Rhonna Cass says in a letter that it's become clear the company is "no longer a valued partner" to the school system.
Chartwells agreed last month to pay $19 million to settle a lawsuit alleging that it overcharged the city and mismanaged school meal programs. The council was set to consider whether to renew the company's contract on Tuesday.
Chartwells says in its letter that it will work with the school system "to transfer the food service responsibility."
"While the Council is on recess, we will fix this," Mayor Muriel Bowser said. "We will explore all legal options and new opportunities to better serve our children."
