More than 30 million children in the U.S. qualify for free and reduced school lunches, prompting many to wonder how students of limited means manage in the summer months. Marshall County School District food service program is hoping alleviate some of that need during the summer. The board of education voted to approve the program during its regularly-scheduled meeting Thursday in Draffenville.
The food service program will begin its first-ever summer lunch program May 30, serving free lunches to any child 18 and younger. It’s a service that Marshall County Food Service Director Beth Cunningham said could be a risk, but it’s a risk worth taking.
“The food service department is responsible for the cost of this program,” Cunningham said. “That would include the cost of the food, the supplies, labor, salaries, benefits, all non-food supplies. The way the revenue comes in is, again, federal reimbursement, which is $3.83 per meal, for lunch. We’re proposing to just do lunch at this time. … It somewhat of a risk because it’s new. So, we’ve got to feed as many students as possible to try, I’m not looking to make money on this, I’m just looking to break even.”
Locations are spread throughout the county, and will be serving at the following times:
- Benton Public Library – 1-1:20 p.m. Mondays, June 5 through July 28
- Benton First Baptist Church – 11:30-11:50 a.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, June 5-9; and noon to 12:20 p.m. June 12 through July 28
- Hardin Public Library – noon to 12:20 p.m. Thursdays, June 8-29 and July 6-27
- Calvert City Public Library – 1-1:20 p.m. Tuesdays, June 13-27 and July 11-25
- Calvert City Elementary playground pavilion – 1-1:20 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, June 5 through July 28
- Gilbertsville First Baptist Church – noon to 12:20 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, June 5 through July 28
- Marshall County High School – 10 a.m.to noon, Monday through Friday, May 30 through July 28 NOTE: MCHS will not serve meals from June 26 through July7
- Mike Miller Park – 11 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 11 through 27
Meals will not be served July 3-5; meals must also be eaten on site. Adults may also purchase meals to eat at a cost of $3.50. Meals will adhere to food service program nutrition guidelines.
Cunningham said food would be prepared at MCHS, Benton Elementary and Calvert City Elementary cafeterias and be taken out to those serving sites throughout the county.
“I have purchased some frozen sandwiches that you can just thaw,” Cunningham said. “Because we’re going to prepare, we’ve got a menu made up, but to have some things on hand until we get a grasp on how many meals we’re looking at.”
School board member Diane Barga said she was glad to see the initiative take root in the county.
“Well, I’m thrilled,” Barga said. “I know I tried to talk to you several years ago about trying to get something, because there’s just such a need.”
In addition to the summer meal program, more students will receive free meals during the upcoming school year. Cunningham said both Benton Elementary and Sharpe Elementary schools now qualified for the Community Eligibility Provision – which provides federal reimbursement to allow all enrolled students to receive free breakfast and lunch – in the 2017-18 academic year. Benton and Sharpe join five other schools in the district which have adopted the CEP: Jonathan Elementary, South Elementary, Calvert City Elementary, Central Elementary and South Marshall Middle School.
The formula to determine school eligibility looks at percentages of students utilizing Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), as well as those in foster care and homeless situations, according to the USDA Food and Nutrition Service Division. Schools that have 40 percent of enrolled students that fit within those guidelines to qualify for CEP. All students in eligible schools that adopt CEP receive free meals, not just those using services outlined in the criteria to determine that eligibility.
“If you look at Marshall County High School, it’s a 36.89 percent,” Cunningham said. “They must be at 40 percent to even qualify. If you’ll look at North, they’re at 39.62 percent. … They’re getting close.”