Manatee plans expansion to school lunch during COVID-19 shutdown. Here’s what we know
The School District of Manatee County changed two of the locations in its free lunch program, and more than a dozen new sites are expected in the near future.
While the mobile lunch program was originally scheduled to end last week, it was extended through April 15, after the Florida Department of Education announced that schools would remain closed due to COVID-19. Though physical campuses are closed, Manatee is still providing free lunches while students continue their education online.
The extended break ends on Friday, and virtual classes are scheduled to begin on Monday.
Instead of setting up at Lincoln Park and Pride Park, the district is now visiting Daughtrey Elementary School and the Palmetto Youth Center, along with the original five locations.
Manatee also plans to add several community sites to the lineup, along with 20 or more school sites. Families will have the option to visit a campus and collect a free meal without leaving their cars, said Jessica Anderson, a spokeswoman for the district’s Food and Nutrition Services Department.
The program serves anyone 18 or younger, and it currently operates Monday through Friday at the following locations:
Anderson said she hoped to announce the expanded locations this week. The new sites will operate under Summer BreakSpot, a program administered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
“For millions of Florida’s children, school meals are the only meals they can count on,” Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said in a news release. “We’re working closely with school districts to ensure that students have access to healthy, nutritious meals while schools are closed due to COVID-19.”
This story was originally published March 23, 2020 at 4:22 PM.