Manatee school bus offers spring break lunch to hungry students

PALMETTO -- Gripping a squirt bottle of hand sanitizer in her gloved hands, school food bus driver Debra Valdez called to four children shyly making their way toward the brightly colored school bus with mom pushing the youngest one forward.

"Y'all ready to eat?" Valdez asked with a smile.

The four children were the first of more than 70 students who ate a free lunch Tuesday courtesy of the Manatee County School District Food and Nutrition Services Department.

The district retrofitted a school bus last summer to feed students and brought the program back for spring break this week. The bus had a slight hiccup Monday morning when it broke down on the way to Lincoln

Park, said Skye Grundy, a specialist for the food and nutrition services.

After sitting idly in the transportation complex since August, the bus needed a new battery. It was a quick fix for the transportation department.

"They came with their emergency kit and then we were up and running," Grundy said.

The bus fed 120 students in three locations Monday, and about 150 students Tuesday. Up to 300 students can be fed each day during the break and more can be accommodated if necessary.

Sitting around a table under the sun, siblings Ashley Plaza, 8; Luis Martinez, 7; Octavio Martinez, 5; and Milly Martinez, 3 munched on ketchup and mustard-slathered chicken patty sandwiches, fresh broccoli with ranch dip, baked Cheetos, chocolate milk and apple slices. Older brother, 10-year-old Jesus Plaza, sat nearby with Nelsa Crespo, their mom.

"I like the broc," he said. "Broccoli is my favorite."

Crespo said she heard about the program this week from a notice sent home with her youngest daughter, Milly, who is enrolled in a Head Start Program.

"Lunch is important," Crespo said.

The family has been enjoying spring break so far. On Monday, they played soccer in the park, but didn't have lunch from the bus.

They also participated in an Easter egg hunt last weekend and have gone to the beach.

Superintendent Rick Mills stopped by Tuesday to talk with children and discuss ways to amp up the program during the summer. Mills said he'd like to see an educational component added to the summer food bus.

"I really like the idea of an education component. We need to explore that, I'm not sure what it would be," he said.

The bus was only supposed to be at Lincoln Park until noon before heading over to the Bradenton Village apartments.

As children kept arriving, it was hard for the bus to leave.

"I don't like to leave hungry kids," Grundy said.

Meghin Delaney, education reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7081. Follow her on Twitter @MeghinDelaney.

This story was originally published April 1, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Manatee school bus offers spring break lunch to hungry students ."