The Up-Island regional school district committee voted this week to part ways with food service provider Chartwells at the end of the school year, and now plans to develop its own school meals program based at the West Tisbury school.

The decision is a small about-face from last week when at its public budget hearing, the school committee said it would back the funding to renovate the kitchen at the West Tisbury School but was reluctant to commit yet to developing an in-house school food program due to costs constraints. On Monday night the committee changed its position and approved adding $190,000 to next year’s budget to fund a lunch program. The actual added cost to the school district is projected to be $80,000 after expected revenue of some $114,000. The program plan calls for two full-time positions at the West Tisbury school and two part-time positions, one in West Tisbury and one at the Chilmark school. The cost projections were prepared by Vineyard schools superintendent Dr. James H. Weiss and school business administrator Amy Tierney.

The vote to end the contract with Chartwells was 4 to 1. Committee member Skipper Manter cast the dissenting vote.

The committee also unanimously voted to have the $100,000 previously approved for the West Tisbury school kitchen expansion come from the excess and deficiency fund, in an effort to keep operating costs down.

School committee chairman Dan Cabot said at first he was apprehensive about funding both projects in the same fiscal year but was persuaded that it could work by using excess and deficiency funds to pay for it.

“It’s a big step,” Mr. Cabot said after the meeting. “I think it’s important for reasons of food quality . . . and more than that, it’s important to have control of that function as an educational tool to teach our kids about health and eating well.”

Currently Chartwells prepares lunch at the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and transports the food to the two up-Island schools.

Chilmark school principal Susan Stevens praised the decision.

“I think it’s important for our kids to have more Island-grown foods and healthy choices,” Mrs. Stevens said. “This will give us an opportunity to have a hot lunch.”

Meanwhile, the school committee took a preliminary vote on Monday night to certify its $8.86 million budget for fiscal year 2013, a seven per cent increase over last year. A final vote is set for Jan. 9.

Mr. Weiss said he was cautiously optimistic about the kitchen and new lunch program.

“It’s not that I’m against the notion of moving forward with the kitchen and pulling out from Chartwells,” the superintendent said. “I see this as a three-step process. The first was to serve food there, the second was to upgrade the kitchen and the third was bringing the expenses in-house. Is it too much for voters to bite off in one swoop?” he said, adding: “The money coming from the excess and deficiency funds [to pay for kitchen renovations] softens the blow a little bit.”

Aquinnah selectmen wrote a letter of support for the new program.

“We are committed to support ‘buying locally’ and the possible increase in costs to provide quality meals for our children,” wrote selectman and board chairman Jim Newman.

West Tisbury selectman Cynthia Mitchell said she too favors the move.

“As member of the [budget] task force and someone who’s followed this process I’m completely in favor in supporting the accelerated food service plan to bring it in-house,” Mrs. Mitchell said. “I think it’s a wonderful community project. The parents and families involved in it have done a terrific job putting it in shape so the school committee could feel comfortable incorporating it in moving forward. I think it’s a great thing.”

Island Grown Schools program coordinator Noli Taylor also praised the decision.

“Communities all over the country are struggling to end corporate food service contracts,” Mrs. Taylor said. “It’s so exciting the school committee took the courageous step to get out of the contract and move it back in-house. We’ll be able to provide a model to other communities . . . the Island is setting the course for others to be able to learn from.”