A woman accused of starving her stepdaughters while keeping her own biological children well-fed has pleaded guilty to abuse charges in a case that prompted a state investigation.

School officials said they had reported concerns about the girls to social workers, starting 10 months before their stepmother, Jennifer L. Wood, and the girls’ father, Alex A. Wood, were arrested and charged with two counts of child abuse.

The trial for Jennifer Wood had been scheduled to start Monday, but she pleaded guilty Wednesday to the abuse charges. She also admitted to one count of aggravated battery stemming from allegations that she choked one of the girls.

Her sentencing is scheduled for June 8.

The guilty plea was not part of a plea agreement, said Georgia Cole, spokeswoman for the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office.

Alex Woods’ trial is set for May 14.

His daughters, ages 6 and 7 at the time, were removed from their south Wichita home in July after a state social worker discovered them in what was described as an advanced state of starvation.