Stafford plans to deliver school breakfast, lunches during virtual classes

Stafford County Schools may be beginning the school year online, but they will still be providing meals to students.

During its August 11 meeting, the Stafford County School Board was presented with the division’s School Meal Distribution Plan for the 2020-21 school year. According to the plan, hot meals for all Stafford County Schools students, regardless of whether or not they qualify for free and reduced lunches, will be provided via curbside pickup and a community bus drop off service. The school division will also give free lunches to all students enrolled in the reduced-price lunch program.

“Meals will be available for free, reduced, and full-paying students at school curbside and selected locations throughout the community,” according to school documents. “We have waived the 40-cents reduced meal charge. Students eligible for reduced-priced meals will now receive free meals,” stated the school division’s School Meal Distribution Plan.

To aid the plan, Brian Williams, director of nutrition, requested $40,000 in federal CARES Act funding from the Stafford County Board of Supervisors. The money would go toward meal totes and coolers for safely transporting food, as well as the expansion of meals delivered via the bus community drop off service.

“We still need coolers for distributing the meals on the buses […], and food totes for every school,” said Assistant Superintendent of Administration and Finance for Stafford County Schools Chris Fulmer.

Students will only be able to receive meals on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and at select sites on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. During those days, students will receive hot lunches at the afternoon school curbside pickup sites and pre-packaged “heat and serve” meals that must be heated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees at community bus distribution sites and the evening school pick-up sites.

Students can also receive a two-day supply of breakfast and lunch on Mondays and Wednesdays at the school curbside locations. Students do not have to be present to receive the meals, parents can pick them up for them.

“A parent or guardian may pick up meals without the student being present, however, they will need to provide the student’s name and school attended,” according to school documents.

The meals can be paid for in cash at school pick-up sites, but meals picked up from community bus distribution sites can only be charged to a student’s lunch account. All change from the cash transactions will be credited to students’ individual lunch accounts. Breakfast will cost $1.65, and lunch costs $2.90, $3.00, and $3.10 at the elementary, middle, and high school levels respectively, according to the school division’s School Meal Distribution Plan.

Students without money, who are not on the free and reduced lunch program, can still receive meals by charging the meal to their student lunch account. Parents are, however, encouraged to pre-pay for their student’s lunches.

“[Parents] are strongly encouraged to prepay for meals online using myschoolbucks.com,” stated the school division’s School Meal Distribution Plan.

The current school curbside pick-up meal distribution locations are as follows:

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Monday, Wednesday and Friday

• Shirley Heim Middle
• Kate Waller Barrett Elementary
• Falmouth Elementary
• Rocky Run Elementary
• A.G. Wright Middle
• Ferry Farm
• Brooke Point
• Hartwood
• Dixon Smith
• Forge
• N. Stafford

4:30 PM – 6 PM Monday and Wednesday

• Kate Waller Barrett Elementary
• Falmouth Elementary
• Rocky Run Elementary
• Col. Forge High

The current bus meal distribution communities are as follows:

11 AM – 1 PM Monday, Wednesday and Friday

• Olde Forge
• Meadows Park/Quarles Rt. 17
• Town and Country
• Foxwood Village
• Sky Terrace
• Garrison Woods
• Widewater Village
• Crystal Lake Courage
• Hidden Valley
• Potomac Hills
• Taylor Mobile Home Park
• Stone River Crescent Blvd
• Forreston Woods
• Bell’s Hill
• Paradise Estates
• Arbor Grove/Lakewood
• Country Ridge
• England Run
• Vista Woods
• Lake Arrowhead
• Hope Road

Stafford schools are currently in the process of evaluating sites to expand meal distribution services.

To ensure the safety of staff, parents, and students during the acquisition of meals, there will be health and social distancing precautions. Staff will go through daily temperature checks, be required to wear face masks, and utilize 6 ft. tables to control the spacing between staff and students.

More information about where and how to get meals during the upcoming school year can be found here.