Thursday, March 28, 2024

Cascade School District Food Services Continue to Bring Food to the Students

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Last spring, when schools went remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cascade School District (CSD) invented and implemented a whole new model for feeding the district’s children. With about 45% of the student population qualifying for the free and reduced lunch program, it was imperative to continue to provide breakfast and lunch to these children while they were learning from home.

CSD’s food delivery program included a trained kitchen crew (including a principal and school board member) who created bagged breakfasts and lunches, via assembly line, early every weekday. Bags were counted, boxed and transported by bus drivers to six locations for pickup by local families. Anyone, not just those qualified for the free and reduced lunch program, could sign up for these free meals.

Two important waivers made this program possible last spring. A state waiver allowed school districts to utilize buses beyond their normal scope of transporting children and used for transporting food to those same children. A USDA waiver allowed school districts to distribute free food that is normally tied to meals only given in a group setting, like at school. The district tracked their meal expenses to get reimbursed.

This school year looked like it would offer a smaller food security safety net at first. The district began planning without either waiver in place, as they had both expired over the summer.

However, Tracey Beckendorf-Edou, CSD Superintendent, announced in a letter to all district families on Sept. 3 that the state and the USDA updated their guidelines, reenacting the waivers.

Given the unknowns at first, the district started with a slightly scaled-down version of the meal delivery. Bagged lunches and breakfasts were available, starting the first day of school, at Cascade High School, Beaver Valley School in Plain and Peshastin Dryden Elementary in Peshastin. Now with the assurance of the waivers, two more locations will be added on Sept. 8, the Dryden softball field park and the Blewett Fire Station in Valley Hi.

This is good news as it minimizes the distance families have to travel to receive these meals. Also, any family can now be added to the list for bagged lunches and breakfasts, thanks to the reinstated federal waiver.

One small change that will stay in place is the timing of meal pickups. The pickup times are at 11 a.m. at PD and noon at the other locations. This is later than last spring, because the district does not want food pickup to interfere with online learning, which is occurring across all grades in the morning hours.

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