As the school year ends and some students and their families are faced with food insecurity, the state board of education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have stepped in to help some school districts statewide – including in the west suburbs – give kids continued access to meals.
High school and elementary school districts serving students in Elmwood Park, Franklin Park, River Forest, Oak Park and other area municipalities are offering morning and, in some cases, afternoon meals.
“The time of year should not dictate whether a child has access to healthy meals. Summer meal programs are integral in ensuring that any child in need has access to nutritious food all year long,” state Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders said in a statement to Pioneer Press.
Oak Park River Forest High School District 200, Leyden High School District 212 and Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401 are providing meals this summer. For these school districts and others participating in the summer food service program, the Illinois State Board of Education administers the funding that comes from the USDA.
Franklin Park School District 84 is not running a summer school program and, thus, no summer meal program. Also, Oak Park Elementary School District 97 will not provide summer meals this year, according to district officials. But, Sanders said there is a resource available for families to see all the school districts that are.
“Illinois SNAP-Ed recently updated the Find IL Food map, which is an important resource families can use to find out which sites are participating in their area, if meals are offered for free or at reduced prices, and who is eligible,” he said in the statement.
ISBE spokeswoman Emily A.D. Johnson said school districts, along with community organizations, churches, camps, park districts, some libraries and others helped serve more than 3.1 million meals last summer through the federally funded Summer Food Service Program. A total of 1,560 meal sites in 53 of the state’s 102 counties provide the program, she said. Sponsors in the program receive a reimbursement for each meal served during the summer break. Dates and times vary by district.
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“We are thankful to be a part of the program and offer this opportunity to our community. We’ve worked hard to make our breakfasts more nutritious while still being creative with our menu,” said Leyden SD212 assistant certified school business official Andrew Sharos. “We want our high school to be a hub for our entire community, not just for education, and programs like this help make that possible.”
On the days that summer school is in session, free breakfast is provided for any child 18 years or younger, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Students don’t need to be attending summer school or be current Leyden students, officials said.
Anyone 18 years old and younger is can have free breakfast as part of the community program, said SD212 spokeswoman Karen Geddeis.
Summer school is in session Monday through Thursday until July 20 at East Leyden High School,
Geddeis said the district serves between 200 to 400 meals a day, and about 300 meals on average.
The summer menu is similar to what is served during the academic year and includes breakfast sandwiches, cereal, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, muffins, fruit, milk and juice, according to the district.
At Oak Park-River Forest High School – the lone school in SD200 – meals are being provided as part of summer offerings for current students looking to make up credits and incoming freshmen taking part in a transition program, according to district officials.
Meal service runs July 20, the end of summer school, according to SD200 spokeswoman Karin Sullivan. She said meal times vary since the teacher for the program picks up the meals from the kitchen when they are ready for them. Sullivan said on average, the district is serving about 30 breakfasts and 60 lunches daily.
“We provide sandwiches, wraps and parfaits for lunch, and muffins, bagels, and cereal for breakfast,” Sullivan said. “There is no cost to the students for the meals.”
Elmwood Park Community Unit School District 401 offers breakfast and lunch June 21 through July 18, the dates of the summer school program, according to James Jennings, assistant superintendent for finance and operations.
“Breakfast and lunch will be provided free of charge to all students and residents 18 years of age and younger at Elm Middle School,” Jennings said.
Breakfast will be served from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. and lunch will run from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Elizabeth Owens-Schiele is a freelancer.