The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District announced in a press release on Wednesday that they will provide meals to students who attend school onsite, as well as to students who opt for 100% remote learning with their KPBSD school. They are also presenting an online application for Free and Reduced Meals to determine benefits and qualify communities for federal funds.
When school buildings closed in March, KPBSD began offering grab-and-go meals for parents to pick-up at schools. The district has announced that they will continue that strategy for families who do not wish for their children to return to schools, to ensure that students have access to meals.
Pegge Erkeneff of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District says that students who opt to attend school buildings will still have access to meals in the event that schools are forced to close due to a High Risk designation: “Anybody who chooses 100% remote learning to start with, with their school, they will have the opportunity to pick-up meals on a once-a-week basis for their children. So, we’ll be providing those get-and-go meals for our 100% learning families connected with a school. If we move to high-risk, meals will also be provided like they were last spring when we had no students on-campus.”
The district also announced meal prices for the 2020-21 school year:
- Breakfast will be free for students approved for Free and Reduced meals, and will otherwise cost $2.00.
- Lunch will cost $.40 for students approved for Free and Reduced meals, and will otherwise cost $3.00 for grades K-6 and $3.50 for grades 7-12.
Parents or guardians must reapply each year for free or reduced meal benefits. This year, all applications will be accepted online through the new state portal at http://mealapp.kpbsd.org. If a family does not have access to the internet, each school will have paper applications in the school office.
Meal benefits from the 2019-20 school year will carry over until October 5, but a new application must be received by KPBSD Student Nutrition Services by then, or the student will automatically revert to a paid meal status.
Also announced on Tuesday, students will not be permitted to charge any meals until parents or guardians have signed an opt-in form for their child. The opt-in form is included in the student’s online packet. Student Nutrition Services needs a form completed for each student that a parent gives permission to charge. When completed, students will be allowed to charge up to two days of meals, and no further charges will be allowed until the amount is paid back.