The USDA has provided a waiver to allow schools that participate in the summer food service program to extend service for a limited time into the school year. That means students in the Crookston School District will be able to receive free breakfasts and lunch until the funding runs out or December 31, regardless of whether they qualify for free and reduced lunches or not.
Food Service Director Anna Ogaard-Brekken said the new waiver makes free meals available for all students. “They have a specific set of nutritional guidelines, and they also require us to fill out free and reduced applications,” said Ogaard-Brekken. “And, then, only provide free meals to those that qualify. The USDA made the federal announcement they’d allow states to let their school food authorities operate under the Summer Food Service program with guidance from the state. We waited for guidance for the state that came out on September 4 that would allow schools who operated under the National School Lunch program for the ’19-20 school year to switch over to the Summer Food Service Program until December 31 or when funds are exhausted. The biggest thing it allows us to do is to give away all meals for free to all students, regardless of income level. That’s one breakfast and one lunch a day to any student in the school district, and any student wanting to pick up from our grab and go option out of the high school.”
School lunches and breakfast at Crookston Public Schools typically fall under the National School Lunch Program, and National School Breakfast Program, which requires the competition of free and reduced lunch programs, which can provide several benefits explained Ogaard-Brekken. “Not only do we want it for the families, so that when those funds are exhausted, it can be an easy switch for those families that have been previously approved to continue to get free meals,” said Ogaard-Brekken. “The other thing we need it filled out for is for revenue for our school. When people are approved for free and reduced lunches based on the application, our whole school district gets more monies for other school programs. So, we really need families to fill out the free and reduced application before October 1 to allow our district to continue to get funded for certain programs. We’ve seen a stop in free and reduced applications because we’ve offered free lunches. We want to remind families that this is a temporary solution, and we’re really asking families, even if they haven’t qualified before, to fill out a free and reduced application. Turn those into your school, and they’ll get it to me to process before October 1.”
The benefits of free and reduced lunches for the district include an increased rating for eligibility to funding for title and preschool, which has allowed Crookston Public Schools to expand their preschool offerings over the past couple of years. Students can also receive eligibility for additional benefits such as eligibility for athletic scholarships and waived fees for some collegiate testing advanced courses.
SCHOOL LUNCHROOM CHANGES
School lunchrooms have also changed for the school year based on the guidelines in the Minnesota Safe Learning Plan. Those changes span from being served lunch at the table rather than going through the lunch line at Washington School, to an extra lunch period at the High School, and even eating in the classroom.
In addition to those changes, a grab and go lunch program is also available for students not in the building as part of the high school hybrid model or who are partaking in distance learning. “At the high school, we offer the grab and go option for any students who are home for the day because they’re in the hybrid model or if you choose to be a distance learner at all times,” said Ogaard-Brekken. “There is a form (here) on the website under the food service tab that says grab and go meal request. You fill that out every day, and we’ll have that waiting for you at Door 15 at the back of the cafeteria. We’re also serving the students in high school every day at the high school. It looks a little different because there are only two options. Everything is pre-portioned. They come through the line with stickers marking where they can stand. Since we are giving away meals for free, no kids have to put in their lunch numbers for the time being, which is helpful.”
Lunch has also changed at the elementary schools. “At Highland Elementary School – first, second, and third – are eating in the cafeteria,” said Ogaard-Brekken. “Again, everything is pre-portioned, so they only take the portions they want. Fourth, fifth, and sixth grade is going through the lunch line, taking the items they want, then going back to their classroom to eat there. New to Washington this year is also being offered breakfast in the classroom, so students don’t congregate in the small cafeteria. They no longer go through the lunch line at Washington. Everything is plated for them and served directly to them sitting at their lunch table. Options have been decreased at most of the schools for now. We hope to add some back in but for simplicity purposes to start the year; we’ve decreased the number of options the students have a day.”
