By Alex Paul
Chronicle staff

     Okanogan School District's meals program will be managed by Chartwells, the school board decided June 26.
     The district will continue to provide equipment and staffing for the program.
     Superintendent Richard Johnson said the company already manages food service programs at schools in Tonasket, Omak, Bridgeport, Brewster and others throughout the area. It is part of the Compass Group's North America division, which is based in Charlotte, N.C.
     According to the company's Web site, Chartwells serves more than 2.5 million students each school day in more than 600 school districts nationwide, about 56 in Washington.
     "Chartwells has an excellent track record in schools and also provides services to large companies like Boeing and Microsoft," Johnson said. "They will develop all of the menus and do the bidding for the food to prepare them."
     Johnson said that after Chartwells took over management of the Tonasket school lunch program, the number of meals served each day nearly doubled.
     Total cost to the district will be $26,500.
     In other business, the board:
     - Awarded its fuel supply contract for regular gasoline and diesel to Whitley Fuel, Okanogan.
     - Set the public budget hearing meeting for 7 p.m. July 23.
     - Hired Barbara Orr as head cook supervisor.
     - Learned the district took in $1,104.22 from the sale of some 47 surplus items.
     - Learned that on Labor Day weekend, a contractor will fix the Dawson Gym floor where red lettering was bleeding through a clear top coat finish.