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COVID-19

School lunch to go: Spokane district to begin distributing food Thursday

Logan Elementary School fourth-grader Jayden Floyd, 10, center, and her sister Sadie, 6, a kindergarten student, examine the contents of their sack lunches donated by No-Li Brewhouse on Tuesday. Spokane Public Schools will be distributing grab-and-go meals starting Thursday at 21 sites. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)

Spokane Public Schools will roll out its grab-and-go food program on Thursday at 21 sites throughout the district.

The meals will be offered Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to any child from birth to age 18, or who is currently enrolled in high school.

Federal meal programs require that students be present to pick up a meal.

“Our teams are working to create the safest exchange possible, using proper social distancing protocols,” the district said in a statement issued Wednesday.

Meals will be offered at the following locations: Arlington, Balboa, Finch, Garfield, Grant, Holmes, Hutton, Lidgerwood, Lincoln Heights, Logan, Longfellow, Moran Prairie, Mullan Road, Ridgeview, Roosevelt, Sheridan and Stevens elementary schools; Shaw Middle School; and Rogers, Shadle Park and Ferris high schools.

The district also expects to open two childcare sites on Thursday to the children of first responders and essential health care workers. The sites were not identified Wednesday night.

“This service is being offered as a last-resort option to support our community’s emergency personnel. As such, it is an exception to the state’s requirement for school closures,” the district said.

All districts plan to issue regular updates during the closure, via their websites, social media or direct emails to families.

Here is a district-by-district rundown of plans as of Wednesday afternoon:

At Central Valley School District, only K-5 children with parents who are first responders or are in the medical field will receive child care priority, with service beginning Monday at sites to be announced. Breakfast and lunch are now available at 11 sites, the district announced Wednesday. Homework packets and other details will be provided “in a later communication once specifics have been determined.”

In the Mead School District, food will be distributed beginning Monday once the district sets up hubs throughout where meals can be picked up. Locations of the hubs and pickup times will be announced at a later date, the district said late Tuesday. For families of health service workers and first responders, day care will be in place by Monday.

The West Valley School District is in the process of refining plans for child care for the children of first responders and healthcare providers. YMCA child care at Pasadena or Seth Woodard elementary schools will continue for those already enrolled. Grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches are available at Pasadena Park, Seth Woodard, Ness and Orchard Center elementary schools. Children must be present to receive meals. School staffs are working on academic support plans.

On Tuesday, the East Valley School District finalized details for food distribution at sites throughout the district, beginning immediately. To receive child care, families of first responders and medical workers must fill out an online form. Child care will begin on Monday.

In Cheney Public Schools, plans were finalized Tuesday for breakfast and lunch, which will began on Wednesday. Child care for first responders, medical workers and essential military personnel is available, but a form must be filled out by Thursday. Academic updates on “optional learning resources” will be sent out as resources become available.

In the Medical Lake School District, meal distribution is scheduled to begin Monday. These will be grab-and-go lunches that include provisions for the following day’s breakfast. The district has created a survey with distribution locations to identify the number of meals needed. The district is still working on a plan to provide child care.

The Deer Park School District plans to offer child care for children, ages 3-13, of health services personnel and first responders, but a questionnaire must be completed first. Free grab-and-go lunches are being provided from 11 a.m. to noon, the district said Tuesday. Academic options are still being weighed, the district said Saturday.

In the Riverside School District, free child care will be provided beginning Monday for preschool through fifth-graders in families of medical field workers and first responders. Sack breakfasts and lunches will be available at off-school sites, but applicants should fill out a form. An academic plan will be rolled out on Monday, the district said.

The Freeman School District is offering free sack breakfasts and lunches but requires applicants to fill out a form.

In the Nine Mile Falls School District, families are asked to fill out a form that covers food as well as child care.