GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — Guilford County Schools is urging Congress to extend a waiver so that district staff can continue to serve meals in neighborhoods and at schools without charge.
This is not possible under the National School Lunch Program unless a waiver is granted, as it was in the spring when schools initially closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. During that time, GCS served between 33,000 and 34,000 meals daily.
But without the extension of the waiver by Monday August 31, those meals will no longer be free for all, and school buses will no longer be able to deliver to the most vulnerable of children.
Superintendent Dr. Sharon Contreras made remarks at a recent board meeting, addressing the need to extend the waiver:
Our summer meal distribution program runs through August 31. Meals are available at 41 schools and 65 neighborhood locations for children under the age of 18.
After August 31, unless additional action is taken by Congress, we will not be able to serve as many students at as many sites as we did during school closures last spring as the U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved some, but not all of the state’s requests for waivers regarding existing regulations associated with the National School Lunch program.The state has received waivers for non-congregant distribution (which means we can distribute meals for students when they are not eating in the classroom,school cafeteriaor at picnic tables on school grounds), parent pick-up (grab and go) and meal flexibility that allows us to give parents two meals (today’s lunch and tomorrow’s breakfast) at one time for each child so they don’t have to come back two times daily. However, the state – and by extension GCS – did not receive a waiver to distribute meals to students without verifying that each child qualifiesfor the free-or-reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch program and then charging and collecting money from those who don’t qualify for the cost of the meals. While these rules usually are handled quickly and discreetly when students are eating in a classroom or school cafeteria, it will be more difficult to do so curbside and may serve as a barrier to participation in the program.
Without a waiver, we will no longer be able to use school buses and transportation workers to distribute meals to our most impoverished neighborhoods. As a reminder, school nutrition is an enterprise fund –it is funded completely by the income it generates. The number of children served daily helps illustrate the impact this situation could have in our community: Last summer, we served about 6,500 meals per day (breakfast and lunch). This summer, we are serving about 19,000 to 20,000 meals per day (breakfast and lunch). Last spring, with the waivers in place, we served between 33,000 and 34,000 meals daily.
Dr. Contreras said there is a way you can help. She urges the public to contact their Congressional representatives to ask for action to remove barriers to participation in meal distributions for hungry children during remote learning.