Schools allowed to extend free meals to students for rest of the year

Students across the country will continue to receive free meals throughout the remainder of the year in an attempt to help families struggling during the coronavirus pandemic.

Several local school districts are taking advantage of programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, allowing students from age 2 to 18 to receive a free breakfast and lunch regardless of their family’s income or whether they are attending in-person or online classes or are in day care. Free food will be offered through Dec. 31.

“Some families are slightly above the threshold for qualification of a free or reduced meal,” said Hempfield Superintendent Tammy Wolicki. “This opportunity allows all children to have access to healthy meals every weekday and for families to use those much-needed funds in other ways.”

The Department of Agriculture extended two summer programs — the seamless summer option, which allows schools to offer meals as they would during the regular school year, and the summer food service program, which offers free food to kids in low-income areas — throughout the fall.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education accepted waivers for the programs from the USDA and provided information to schools across the state. Officials with the department will “support and assist schools as they review the information and select meal service options that work best for their communities,” according to the department’s website.

All districts are permitted to offer the program, but they are not required to do so, said Chris Lilienthal, spokesman at the Pennsylvania State Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union which also represents other district staff members, including cafeteria workers. It is up to districts to decide which program works best for their students, Lilienthal noted.

“When you have a situation where the school district is not open for in-person instruction, everything is virtual, remote instruction, it’s much more difficult to reach those students who are living in poverty or who are hungry and to get those meals to those students,” Lilienthal said. “The goal with all of these flexibilities that the USDA is allowing is to kind of remove some of the barriers so it is a little bit easier to reach those kids.”

Despite it not being a requirement, a seemingly large number of area schools are taking advantage of the program. Those schools were also able to offer meals over the summer after they were forced to shutter in April to help curb the spread of the virus.

Now, “children can attend to academics when basic needs, such as food, have been met,” Wolicki said.

At Hempfield, students do not need to apply to receive free meals. Those attending in-person classes can receive free breakfast and lunch daily, while students attending on alternating days will be able to take home free meals for the following day, when they would attend classes virtually. Cyber students can pick up free meals each school day.

In Leechburg Area School District, food service director Jaclyn Walker said about 200 meals are being distributed weekly, with families receiving enough meals for the week if they participate on both pick-up days.

The district had a 46% participation rate in the free or reduced lunch program during the 2019-2020 academic year.

“These are some trying times for families,” Walker said. “We are happy to continue to provide these meals and try and take a little bit of stress off of these families.”

Leechburg Area Superintendent Tiffany Nix said the program has been well received.

“I’m very grateful that we have been permitted by the state to continue a free breakfast and lunch program to every child 18 and under. Especially in strained financial times like our nation is experiencing,” Nix said. “It’s important to offer programs like this in our community.”

Similar measures are being taken at Norwin School District, said Rod Stewart, food service and nutrition director for the district. All Norwin students and families with children who are not yet school-age qualify for free meals under the program.

“For us, it is very important,” said Gary Peiffer, superintendent at Greensburg Salem School District. “We know, and the research backs up, that students who have a breakfast, who have a lunch are able to perform better academically, are able to focus better on the material. Our whole goal is about developing learners and citizens ready for the challenges of the 21st century.”

The district started offering free meals Tuesday, Peiffer said.

In Allegheny County, Deer Lakes, Woodland Hills, Bethel Park and West Jefferson Hills school districts are among those taking advantage of the program. At Woodland Hills, students or parents can pick up meals once per day at one of six locations across the district. At Bethel Park and West Jefferson Hills, a form must be filled out stating which days students need meals.

Officials at West Jefferson Hills will deliver 50 lunches each days to Little Kids, a daycare in the community.

“If we are able to collaborate with our partners from the early learning community in order to provide as many children as possible with healthy and enjoyable lunches while, at the same time, providing some sense of relief to our families during this unprecedented time, then that is exactly what we will do,” said Matt Patterson, assistant superintendent of elementary education for West Jefferson Hills.

Jake Douglas, director of food services at Deer Lakes, expects a large number of students will participate in the meal program. During the summer, the district was feeding 950 students a day, Douglas said.

“I’m a big proponent of trying to feed every student that I can. I believe … every student should receive a meal for free,” Douglas said. “I know it helps families. It helps students. It’s healthy meal that they can have rather than eating chips.”

Staff writers Joyce Hanz and Madasyn Lee contributed.