Krista Jackson, child nutrition director for the Greenbrier School District, said a new program will provide free meals beginning May 31 at Eastside Elementary School for those ages 18 or younger.
“Summer feeding’s always been a desire,” Jackson said. “I had a principal suggest it last summer, and it really never left my mind.”
However, to qualify for a free summer lunch program, the district had to have a school with at least 50 percent of its students on free or reduced-price lunches. Eastside Elementary School hit the 50 percent mark in October, she said.
Hot lunches will be offered from noon to 1 p.m. each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday through June 30.
Students do not have to live in the Greenbrier School District to take advantage of the program, she said, but they do have to provide their own transportation to the school.
“It’s called an open site, so any child can come,” Jackson said. Students will sign in, but that is all that is required.
“The more the merrier,” Superintendent Scott Spainhour said. He said some families in the district struggle to feed their families, and he hopes this summer program will be a resource for them.
“We’re excited about it, and we hope people take advantage of it,” Spainhour said.
The program is an extension of the United States Department of Agriculture National School Lunch Program and is administered by the Arkansas Department of Education.
Jackson said it will be trial and error to see how the program goes.
“It’s very hard to know how to plan,” she said. “We’re just going to monitor and adjust the best we can, and plan that we have a good turnout.”
Jackson said Eastside Elementary School is located near a safe neighborhood.
“We’re hoping we can pull some children who are staying at home who can walk [to school],” she said.
Supplemental pay has been approved for cafeteria workers, and as of now, one cafeteria employee is on board to head up the meal preparation, she said.
“If it’s only 100 meals, one [employee] can handle it. If it’s 300, we’ll have to bring in more help,” Jackson said.
“The school district will front the cost of the meals; then we’re on a reimburse program, so at the end of June we’ll be able to file a claim with the Department of Education. We are able to claim all those meals at the free rate.”
Eastside Elementary School Principal Jeana Williams said she looks forward to the program.
“We’re very excited about this,” Williams said. “We’re very excited about the opportunity to help feed our children during the summertime; that’s amazing. [Krista Jackson] put a lot of work into it to make it happen.”
Jackson said she and Williams have discussed that if the program is successful, it could be extended past June.
Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.