Gasconade County R-2 announced Friday, Sept. 4, at 2 p.m. that the district will now provide all students with free breakfast and lunch beginning Tuesday, Sept. 8, and running through Tuesday, Dec. 22, with approval from the Department of Health and Senior Services.
District parents were notified via SMS text that every student may receive breakfast and lunch, including those who are virtual learners.
To ensure the program runs smoothly, only one meal choice will be offered according to GCR-2 Superintendent Chuck Garner's announcement. Allergy considerations will continue, including for virtual learners who pick up their meals.
Each student signed up for the program will receive one breakfast and one lunch for each day school is in session. Regular weeks, this will mean a student will receive five breakfasts and five lunches. The upcoming week is a shortened four-day week, therefore students will receive four lunches and four breakfasts.
Parents of seated learners — students who regularly attend school in person — do not need to sign up for this program as their students will receive the lunches and breakfasts automatically.
A pickup option is being provided to parents of virtual learners.
Parents of virtual learners who are currently on reduced- or full-price lunch plans are being notified by email regarding the process of picking up their meals. Once the emails are received, parents are asked to contact Megan Silvers at msilvers@dutchmen.us by noon on Monday, Sept. 7, to sign up for the program.
Parents of virtual learners who currently receive free lunches should have already been notified of the process and should have received an email previously this week to sign up for the upcoming week.
Parents of virtual learners interested in the program who have not received an email should contact Megan Silvers at the email address provided above. Emails will be checked over the weekend.
This program is run on a week-to-week basis. Parents of virtual learners will need to sign their children up weekly to continue receiving the meals.
Those who sign up for the program will receive an email each Thursday reminding them to sign up for the following week.
Those who sign up to participate in the program will need to pick up their meals at 8:20 a.m. at their children's school. This will allow buses to come through without issue as well as allow the staff to have adequate time to prepare for lunch. Meals will be picked up behind each school at the cafeteria door. Parents with children in multiple buildings will need to visit each school to pick up their meals and will be required to show identification.
The district's announcement can be found in full here.
