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Curbside meal pickup will continue with new days and times
March 9, 2021 – Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) will resume in-school meals for students returning to in-person classes beginning March 17, and will continue curbside meal pickup with new days and times for all students 18 years and younger, district officials announced today.
“JCPS is committed to providing healthy meals to all students 18 years and younger in our community,” said Julia Bauscher, JCPS Nutrition Services executive administrator. “We’re proud to have served more than 8.5 million meals and snacks to children since schools were shuttered in March, and we will continue providing meals at the curbside, as well as offering safe, nutritious meals in school for those choosing to return to in-person instruction.”
Bauscher added that for the rest of the current school year, all students at all JCPS schools will receive meals at no charge.
As the district transitions to a hybrid learning schedule, there are numerous changes that will take place for both curbside service and in-school meals:
- Curbside meal distribution on the Tuesday-Thursday schedule will end after the Tuesday, March 16 pickup, when families will get six days’ worth of meals plus snacks for each child.
- Curbside meal pickup will be held on Wednesday, March 24, with pickup available at most secondary schools. Families will receive eight days’ worth of meals and snacks for each child.
- No meal service will be available during Spring Break week, March 29 – April 2.
- After Spring Break, curbside meal service will move to Saturdays from 10 a.m. -1 p.m. at the following sites, beginning Saturday, April 10 and continuing through May 22, with the exception of Derby Day, on May 1. In lieu of that, sites will be open Oaks Day, Friday, April 30.
For students attending classes in school buildings, meals will also look different. The process will vary from site to site depending on each school’s plan. In general, in the morning, instead of waiting in a line for breakfast, students will pick up pre-packaged food items as they enter the building. And at lunch time, students will go through the cafeteria line, and eat their meals socially distanced in the cafeteria, outside, or in another areas of the school.
Greathouse/ Shryock Traditional Elementary School, for example, is utilizing multiple areas for students to eat lunch with appropriate space between them.
“We will be utilizing space in our multi-purpose room as well as in our cafeteria to ensure that there is plenty of space for our students to eat lunch following social distancing guidelines,” said Greathouse Principal Karla Davis. “In addition, we have numbered all seating in this area to help us with contact tracing efforts.”
Summer meal service will be provided once school ends for the year. The USDA announced today that it is extending its free meals program to all children through Summer 2021 due to the pandemic.