A Clarke County School District daily food delivery meant for three students in a single household. Currently, meals have been made available for all community members under the age of 18, not just CCSD students. “We’re worried about what access they’ll have to food on Saturday and Sunday, (and once) I was on the route and the driver said that (she knows) there are so many other kids in here, but only a handful will come out even though she’s seen them (during the school year),” CCSD School Nutrition Coordinator Hillary Savage said. “I would like for (CCSD) to publish those routes, so that people have very clear timeframes for where we’re going to be and when, so that (students are) not accidentally missing the bus.” Photo by Maya Cornish
The Clarke County School District transportation and school nutrition departments have been working together to ensure that CCSD students are being fed since the beginning of school on Sept. 8.
CCSD families can go to Clarke Middle School, Hilsman Middle School or Whitehead Road Elementary School to pick-up the meals themselves or have meals delivered to the student’s home by bus.
“(Mark Weaver) in (the CCSD Transportation department) was instrumental in lending us that resource (of buses) as well as helping and because of our model, we’re helping the bus drivers have something to do during the school year as well until we go back to in-person learning,” CCSD School Nutrition Coordinator Hillary Savage said. “Our families sometimes don’t have access to food (or) access to transportation, and so they’re relying on us to bring it to them, and so that’s why (the mobile delivery option) I think is a more popular option.”
Through Facebook and email, parents and community members provided a mix of responses about the program, the majority being positive.
“We’ve had positive (responses) about how grateful (parents) are that we’re stopping in their neighborhood. On top of parents having to be this teaching moderator during the school day, it’s so great not to have to worry about the menu because their kids just have access to this food,” Savage said.
“However, parents/guardians may choose to continue to have their student receive virtual instruction, and adjustments will again need to be made to serve students (meals, educational support, medical assistance, etc.).”
— Beth Moore,
CCSD Communications Manager
As CCSD Superintendent Dr. Xernona Thomas announced on Oct. 8, Pre-K-8 students will be able to return to in-person instruction on Nov. 9 and high school students may return in January 2021. According to CCSD Communications Manager Beth Moore, the food delivery system will adapt to these changes.
“It isn’t easy to provide the same services (or level of services) to students virtually,” Moore wrote in an email. “However, parents/guardians may choose to continue to have their student receive virtual instruction, and adjustments will again need to be made to serve students (meals, educational support, medical assistance, etc.).”
