As schools nationwide face extended COVID-19 closures, school nutrition professionals are油racing油the clock to油ensure needy students don’t go hungry.油On a normal school day,油nearly 22 million students油nationwide油depend on free or油reduced-price油school meals.
School meal program leaders face a variety of challenges油as they implement plans to油continue some form of meal service for油these油at-risk油students during油closures.
Emergency feeding-plan survey results
The School Nutrition Association surveyed school meal program directors about their emergency feeding plans.油, conducted油March 12-16,油yielded responses from 1,769 districts representing 39,978 schools. Most districts (1,211)油were either engaged in or planning emergency meals or food assistance for students during closures.油
Read:油Districts move fast to teach and feed remote students
Descriptions of feeding plans varied widely, but most districts are offering grab-and-go meals at 俗a limited number of schools, often for drive-thru pickup in the school bus loop or parking lot to maximize social distancing. 俗Some districts allow students to receive two meals per day, while others are providing multiple 俗days’ worth 俗of 俗grab-and-go meals 俗at one time, based on approval from state agencies. Many respondents cited 俗additional 俗plans to deliver meals to approved community sites 俗or apartment complexes俗 for distribution to high-need areas or 俗utilize 俗school bus routes 俗to drop off meals throughout the community.
Regulatory hurdles
District administrators should be aware of the numerous regulatory油impediments油that have油hindered油the efficient execution of these emergency feeding plans.油The U.S. Department of Agriculture油allowed俗 states to request waivers油permitting俗 schools油eligible to油operate 俗summer meal programs to serve grab-and-go meals during COVID-19 closures, but the process has been cumbersome油for school nutrition staff.
Read:油Districts deliver meals and ed tech as states shut schools for 2019-2020
As child nutrition director for油Brandon Valley School District in South Dakota,油I was油fortunate油because my program油already operated油a summer food service program. However,油before we could油begin to油serve our 4,400 students, we had to spend油24 hours油completing forms, submitting online applications, requesting waivers, and seeking approval from our state agency.油Schools where fewer than 50% of students qualify for free or油reduced-price油meals face even greater regulatory油hurdles to油serve油their needy students.油
We are grateful to Congress and US91心頭 for their efforts油to address these problems油and油hope the recently passed Families First Coronavirus Response Act油will油ease these burdens, but school meal programs油will油continue to confront a variety of complex challenges.油For instance, as schools nationwide require teachers and staff to shelter at home, how can we ensure the food service team stays油safe when preparing and serving meals?油How can we maintain social distancing when families come to our feeding sites to receive meals?油And as cities油restrict public油transportation,油how do we ensure staff and students can access油these油feeding locations?
As we plan for油extended closures, I worry about油supply chain limitations, staff油availability油and how we can sustain service for our students and familiesmany of whom are油newly油facing food insecurity due to loss of work油or income during the油coronavirus油closures.
Service sustainability concerns
This week, as South Dakota braced for more winter weather, our district油mobilized to prepare three油days’油worth油of mealsbreakfast and lunchto distribute to families at our油feeding sites. Addressing the needs of our community油required the help of our sheriff’s department油as we had a line of油more than油50油cars waiting to pick up meals.油
As we plan for油extended closures, I worry about油supply chain limitations, staff油availability油and how we can sustain service for our students and familiesmany of whom are油newly油facing food insecurity due to loss of work油or income during the油coronavirus油closures.油I’m also worried about油the financial sustainability of油school meal油programs,油which depend俗 almost entirely 俗on 俗cafeteria sales and俗 federal reimbursements for meals served.油
As school closures persist,油school nutrition staff and their油programs will油require the full support of district administrators,油continued油flexibility from regulatory requirements,油and financial support to return to normal油operations油when school油resumes.油油
Gay Anderson is president of the School Nutrition Association (SNA) and the child nutrition director for Brandon Valley School District in South Dakota.油SNA is a national nonprofit representing more than 55,000 school nutrition professionals across the country.油油
