Despite scandal, Chicago schools' vendor contracts renewed

May 22—Less than two months after the resignation of a Chicago Public Schools official accused of accepting improper gifts from the district's two largest food vendors, the district said it intends to renew contracts for those vendors, Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality and Preferred Meal Systems.

CPS spokeswoman Marielle Sainvilus said there wasn't enough time to put the contracts out for a competitive bid. Referring to Chartwells, Sainvilus said: "Overall, they still have been a company that our students need in terms of providing food with nutritional value. We want to ensure there's no interruptions for these students just because of the sheer volume" of lunches and breakfasts the company provides.