For nearly a hundred Parkway School District cafeteria workers, the lunch line has a hard stop coming. Parkway’s decision to swap out its food-service vendor is set to leave about 93 Chartwells employees without jobs, according to a state WARN filing. The district declined to renew its contract with Chartwells, which has been running cafeterias across Parkway schools, and the switch took effect at the end of June. Cooks, cashiers and food-unit leads are among those listed as affected.
According to the state’s WARN log maintained by the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development, Compass Group USA, Inc., doing business as Chartwells, filed a "loss of contract" notice that lists 93 impacted employees with an effective separation date of June 30, 2026. The state recorded the filing in late July as a loss-of-contract event rather than a plant closing.
Local coverage reports that Chartwells told state officials the affected staff "can seek employment by reviewing openings within Compass Group," as relayed by First Alert 4. Compass Group’s careers site currently lists Chartwells openings at Parkway locations, and Parkway’s own nutrition page still identifies Chartwells as the district’s foodservice partner. Compass Group careers | Parkway Nutrition Services.
What the WARN notice means
The federal WARN Act generally requires certain employers to give at least 60 days of advance notice before mass layoffs or plant closings so workers and communities have time to prepare. The U.S. Department of Labor outlines those notice rules and the protections they provide, while Missouri’s Office of Workforce Development uses WARN filings to trigger rapid-response assistance for displaced workers.
District bidding and budget context
Earlier this year, Parkway publicly solicited bids for a district-wide food-service management contract, with sealed bids scheduled to be opened on June 26, according to a public procurement notice. Missouri Lawyers Media The vendor change arrives as the district has warned of multi-year budget pressures and recent cuts aimed at balancing operations, a topic Parkway discussed with the community in April. First Alert 4
Chartwells has run into similar contract losses elsewhere this year. Other state WARN filings show the company steering displaced employees toward roles within the broader Compass Group when accounts end. One recent example came in Minnesota, where Chartwells submitted a WARN letter after a university account wrapped up this spring. Minnesota WARN filing (DEED)
Affected Parkway workers can look for openings on Compass Group’s hiring pages and contact local Missouri Job Centers for rapid-response services. The statewide hotline is 1-888-728-JOBS (5627). For current openings at Parkway sites, workers can check Compass Group’s job listings online. Compass Group careers
