The Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools will provide curbside pickup meals for children in the district starting Monday, March 23.
It will be a program similar to the summer lunch program, where sack lunches or boxed lunches are given to schoolchildren, said Edwin Birch, spokesman for the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools. The school buildings will be closed for the rest of the semester, according to a state emergency order in response to COVID-19.
There will be four locations to pick up the meals, and parents must have their schoolchildren with them, Birch said. There is no charge. The pickup times are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The school district’s kitchen will make the lunches, and the program is funded through the USDA, the same way as the summer lunch program. It will be curbside pickup in order to promote personal health and social distancing.
The four locations include Arrowhead Middle School, 1715 N. 82nd St., Wyandotte High School, 2501 Minnesota Ave.; Schlagle High School, 2214 N. 59th St., and Harmon High School, 2400 Steele Road.
According to school district information, families without transportation will still be able to use the meal distribution program, but will be required to stand six feet apart. KCKPS police officers and staff will be present and will provide instructions.
Birch said the KCKPS Board of Education met this morning, discussed and authorized the meal program.
“We’re still in conversation about the continuous learning plan and what that will look like,” he said.
While students are at home during COVID-19, an educational program will continue at home. There is some discussion about online learning and sessions of small groups of under 10.
“Nothing has been decided yet,” Birch said. He added it was likely that there will be a plan presented in the next 24 to 48 hours.
He said the KCK school district wants parents and students to know that the district will continue the learning process as much as possible.
“These are difficult and trying times for everybody,” he said. “Everybody is affected by this. People are very resilient; we’ll get through this together.
He also said he liked how all the agencies are working closely together, including the schools, BPU, UG, local state representatives, Wyandotte County delegation, governor and Kansas state board of education.
The district is currently on spring break. With orders to keep groups under 10, some school district personnel are working from home, he added.