ATLANTA — With numerous school districts closing across the Atlanta area and around Georgia due to the coronavirus outbreak, families who rely on school meals are finding themselves in a precarious position.
The State Department of Education and many individual districts are preparing contingency plans so students who aren't going to school can still get a meal.
We're tracking what various plans are being made. If you know of any more, please contact us at news@11alive.com.
State Department of Education
The Georgia Department of Education says it has been notified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that two waivers have been approved to extend alternate meal service during school closures.
"This will allow schools to serve students’ meals through USDA-approved meal service options, at state-approved sites within the community," the GaDOE says. "This is similar to the way schools and districts offer student meals during the summer months."
According to the department, local communities could begin seeing alternate meal service options as soon as the beginning of next week
Atlanta Public Schools
All APS students can receive free bagged meals daily at five school sites, Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-noon. Those five sites are Douglass High School, Cleveland Elementary, Bunche Middle School, Sylvan Middle School, and Phoenix Academy.
The service starts March 16.
There will also be ready to eat meals beginning Monday, March 16 at Hosea Williams Feed The Hungry and Loaves and Fishes at St. John the Wonderworker Parish.
More information available on the APS website.
Barrow County School District
The district is offering meals for children weekdays from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., they said. Barrow County School System Nutrition Staff will be at
Apalachee High School (behind the school by the stadium) and Winder-Barrow High School (front of the school by cafeteria) preparing and distributing Grab-N-Go bags containing breakfast and lunch for any child under the age of 18.
Families can also sign up to have meals delivered if they are unable to get to these two locations. If you need meals delivered to your child or children (anyone under the age of 18), please visit the website bit.ly/BCSSmeals.
Buford City Schools
The Buford City Schools (BCS) School Nutrition and Transportation Departments have developed a comprehensive plan to deliver breakfast and lunch to students at specific stops throughout our district. As we focus on the safety and well-being of our students, providing a healthy meal is a top priority. Our formal approval from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was granted on Saturday, March 14, which allows us to implement the meal distribution program beginning on Tuesday, March 17.
The transportation department will travel to specific bus routes in our district to deliver meals each day. Also, there will be a drive-thru service at Buford Academy from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. each school day we are closed beginning on Tuesday, March 17. All youth that is 18 years or younger and is present at either location will be offered these meals.
Sites locations and times
Route 1
9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Bloom at Buford
(Management Office)
9:35 a.m. to 10 a.m.
(Sudderth Road and French Boulevard)
Route 2
9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Countryside Village
(Community and sales office)
Route 3
9 a.m. to 9:20 a.m. Rose Hill Plantation
(Sturgeon Road and Sturgeon Circle)
9:25 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. Eagle Creek
(Parking lot closest to South Lee Street)
9:50 a.m. to 10 a.m. Windridge
(Management Office)
Route 4
9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Peeblebrook
(Gas Plus at entrance)
Route 5
9 a.m. 10 a.m. Buford First
United Methodist Church
Route 6
9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Buford Academy
Clayton County
While schools are closed, Clayton County Public Schools will serve breakfast and lunch meals at ten (10) pre-selected sites beginning Monday, March 16. All meals will be served at all schools on a grab and go basis, and will be served between the following hours:
Breakfast 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.
Lunch 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sites selected to participate are:
Edmonds Elementary
Jackson Elementary
Lake Ridge Elementary
Eddie White Academy
Rex Mill Middle
Kendrick Middle School
North Clayton Middle
Forest Park High
Mundy's Mill High
Riverdale High
Those eligible for this service must be 18 or younger, or individuals with a state-defined mental or physical disability.
In addition, Mobile Food Pantries will be available to support families on March 20 at 4 p.m. at Forest Park Middle School and March 31 at 3 p.m. at Riverdale Middle School.
More information on other services from the district here.
Cobb County
To continue to support Cobb students while schools are closed, the Cobb County School District is partnering with MUST Ministries to provide food to students in need.
For more information about the MUST Food Rapid Response program including pick-up locations, times, and other details will be available on the MUST Ministries website next week.
DeKalb County
DeKalb County School District has increased its feeding sites to a total of 23 locations during the COVID-19 closure. All DeKalb County students can receive a free bagged lunch daily, Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to noon at the schools listed.
In addition, DCSD’s partner, DeKalb County government, will provide snacks to students between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, at the listed recreation centers.
DCSD has also partnered with Atlanta Community Food Bank, which will distribute food once a week beginning March 23, at some of our feeding sites. The District is seeking additional partners.
Schools
Region I
Cross Keys HS
Sequoyah MS
Region II
Idlewood ES
Tucker MS
Region III
Lithonia HS
Marbut ES
Region IV
Clarkston HS
Jolly ES
Region V
Chapel Hill MS
Narvie J. Harris ES
Region VI
Bethune MS
Canby Lane ES
Region VII
McNair MS
Early Learning Center
Recreation Centers
Gresham Recreation
3113 Gresham Road
Atlanta, GA 30316
Exchange Intergenerational
2771 Columbia Drive
Decatur, GA 30034
Redan Recreation
1839 Phillips Rd.
Lithonia, GA 30058
Tobie Grant
644 Parkdale Drive
Scottdale, GA 30079
N.H. Scott
2230 Tilson Road
Decatur, GA 30032
Lucious Sanders
2484 Bruce Street
Lithonia, GA 30058
Mason Mill
1340- B McConnell Drive
Decatur, GA 30033
Hamilton
3263 Chapel Street
Scottdale, GA 30079
Midway Recreation Center
3181 Midway Rd
Decatur, GA 30032
Douglas County
The Douglas County School System will continue feeding students while schools are closed in response to a coronavirus threat.
Beginning March 18, free meals will be available for children ages 0-18 at several Douglas County sites. Meals will be available for pickup at five locations: Alexander High School, Chapel Hill High School, Douglas County High School, Lithia Springs High School, and New Manchester High School.
Each location will provide a Wednesday drive-up service for 100 children from p a.m. until noon. Douglas County School Nutrition will distribute five days' worth of breakfast and lunch to children every Wednesday until school resumes. Meal service will increase based on the needs of the community. If the school closure extends, service will extend into other areas.
Executive Director of School Nutrition Danielle Freeman says this is one of many ways the award-winning Douglas County School Nutrition Department meets the needs of the community. “The Douglas County School Nutrition Department is always looking for additional ways to feed and support children throughout the school year,” she says. “This meal service is another way to help children in need. It is our role and our responsibility to be there for the students in our community.”
The community meal service is available for all children ages 0-18, regardless of school or place of residence. Children must be present in the car to receive meals. Each child present in the vehicle will receive a five-day supply of breakfast and lunch. Parents and children must stay in the car and drive through the front entrance of the school for meal service. Visitors to New Manchester High School must enter through the back Cafe entrance, where nutrition workers will deliver meals.
Henry County
Henry County Schools and the School Nutrition Department will be offering free take-home meals during the current school closure.
Starting Wednesday, March 18, families will be able to pick up lunch for that day and breakfast for the following morning for their students (regardless of the school they attend in Henry County Schools) at one of the following locations:
- Locust Grove Elementary - 95 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Locust Grove, GA 30248
- Hampton Middle School - 799 Hampton-Locust Grove Rd., Hampton, GA 30228
- McDonough Middle School - 175 Postmaster Dr., McDonough, GA 30253
- Stockbridge Middle School - 533 Old Conyers Rd., Stockbridge, GA 30281
This drive-thru pickup line will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at these locations.
Service will be available on the following days/dates:
Wednesday, March 18
Thursday, March 19
Friday, March 20
Monday, March 23
Tuesday, March 24
Wednesday, March 25
Thursday, March 26
Fayette County
Families who need help with meals for any Fayette County student age 18 and under during the closure can come to Spring Hill Elementary School and North Fayette Elementary School from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Food will be distributed as a drive-thru service.
Fulton County
The FCS Nutrition program will provide an opportunity for families to drive through and pick up meals for the children in their family, at six school sites throughout the district:
- Lake Forest Elementary School
- Tri-Cities High School
- Mimosa Elementary School
- Banneker High School
- Haynes Bridge Middle School
- Langston Hughes High School
The program and meals are for students only. Families can pick up meals for all children under the age of 18, or under the age of 21 for youth with special needs. Children must be present in order for meals to be provided.
The meals will be available on the following dates:
Monday, March 16
Hot Lunch
Breakfast and Lunch for Tuesday
Breakfast for Wednesday
Wednesday, March 18
Hot Lunch
Breakfast and Lunch for Thursday
Breakfast for Friday
Friday, March 20
Lunch
Breakfast for Monday
Gwinnett County
The district is offering the following guidance. A full list of school sites is in the document below:
"As part of next week’s (March 16-20) work schedule, School Nutrition staff and Transportation staff will coordinate to provide meals for students. GCPS will provide lunch for anyone 18 or younger at 68 school sites in the district. These lunches will be provided at no cost to the individual through the federal School Nutrition Program. The student must be present to receive the meal. These 68 sites will be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for meal pick-up. In addition, GCPS school buses will make lunches available for pick up at bus stops near the 68 sites. Information about estimated delivery times at these bus stops will be shared on the GCPS website once they are finalized."
City of Marietta Schools
The district's plan involves deploying our buses to deliver food at 81 specific stops along 18 routes throughout our district. More specific details are in the works.
Rabun County
Rabun County School Nutrition will provide meals at no cost for all children from 2 to 18 years old. They do not have to be students of Rabun County. Meals will be available on Mondays only; however, they can be picked up for the whole week at this time.
Meals will be available for pickup at
- The Primary School bus loading area from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- The Mountain City Flea Market from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Vista Ridge Apartments on Marson Knob Drive from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Dunlap Apartments from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
- Stavemill Apartments from 10:40 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
- Clayton-Duckett Apartments from 11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Rockdale County Public Schools
The Rockdale County School District will begin mobile meal delivery routes in Rockdale on Tuesday, March 17 for children under the age of 18.
More information is at www.rockdaleschools.org/COVID19
Rome City Schools
For those who wish to receive a school meal, one may be picked up at any of the Rome City Schools from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. one the following days:
- Monday, March 16
- Wednesday, March 18
- Friday, March 20
- Wednesday, March 25
- Thursday, March 26
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