After The Mississippi Department of Education’s Office of Child Nutrition secured two waivers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assist school districts in establishing meal programs, the Louisville Municipal School District Board of Trustees in a second emergency meeting last week approved deliver of free meals.
The trustees approved the free meal delivery in the March 18 special meeting with the free meal program starting Monday, March 23 at school sites through out the district.
These waivers allow all schools to serve meals to students during an unanticipated school closure. Schools statewide are closed through April 17 in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) under order of the governor.
Schools may serve non-congregate meals, such as grab-and-go meals, during the coronavirus emergency. The OCN implemented an expedited approval process to allow schools to begin serving meals as quickly as possible.
Grab-and-go meals are being served at LMSD schools in Noxapater, Nanih Waiya, Eiland, and LHS.
The trustees gave LMSD Superintendnt Randy Grierson authority to call in essential staff as needed for the district.
Grierson noted how important the meals and the school packets were for the children in the community.
“We must be using every resource we can to meet the needs of the students in the community,” said Grierson.
The cafeteria staff began serving grab-and-go meals (breakfast and lunch) Monday for all children under 18 and will continue doing so until school reopens.
Vowell’s Marketplace had a feeding program in place the first week school was out.
The LMSD program works like a Drive-thru or curbside pickup meal service.
During the school board meeting it was stressed that these meals are free to any and all children who are 18 years and younger, regardless of what their meal benefits are while school is in session. It was also noted that it does not matter if they are LMSD schoolchildren or not, as long as the child is present when the meals are received.
Program Details:
• One breakfast and one lunch for each child.
• Children must be physically present.
• Families do not have to enter the school.
• Meals will not be consumed on-site.
• No paperwork required.
• Adults may purchase a breakfast/lunch combo on-site for $5; cash only.
The MDE is in constant communication with schools, USDA and other stakeholders regarding providing nutritious meals to Mississippi children during this emergency. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
Several questions about testing, graduation, online acadmeic work and how the packet for learning would be provided and setup were also discussed.
LMSD Board Attorney noted, “This is unchartered territory for everyone.”
