Keeping students fed through school closures

Missoula County Public Schools started serving meals to all youth under 18 in Missoula and Seeley Lake starting Monday, March 23. Since the start, MCPS has served nearly 21,000 meals through the end of March including 1282 in Seeley Lake. The district will continue to serve meals as long as schools remain closed.

MCPS served over 20,898 meals from March 23 – March 31. This is more meals than MCPS served in the entire summer of 2019 at their four summer nutrition sites in Missoula.

In the first four days of meal service in April, MCPS served 13,778. The peak of meals served was April 1 with 3,778 meals. Seeley-Swan High School is averaging 115 meals per day.

The MCPS Food and Nutrition Services Department follows strict guidelines for nutrition, food preparation, storage and delivery, ensuring that the product served to students is healthy, clean and safe.

On March 9, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) program of the Department of Agriculture began approving waivers enabling Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and National School Lunch Program Seamless Summer Option (SSO) sponsors to serve meals in a non-congregate setting and at school sites during school closures related to the coronavirus.

MCPS will receive reimbursement for every meal provided in the community. That reimbursement amount will be used to cover the costs of food and labor associated with serving these meals during school closures.

The delivery expenses associated with the bus routes being used to deliver meals will be covered under the district's existing contract with Conley Transportation in Seeley Lake and Beach Transportation in Missoula.

All MCPS staff working to prepare and deliver meals and drivers delivering meals are being paid their regular wages.

Meals are available to any youth under 18, even private school or homeschool students, or students from other school districts. There is no limitation related to income status nor previous qualification for free/reduced lunch. Any youth can receive free meals, regardless of status.

Parents and guardians that would like to receive free meals for their children in the Seeley Lake and Swan Valley area need to fill out the form available at https://forms.gle/HQENFq4hByhB6UP58. Lunches can be picked up Monday - Friday starting at Seeley Lake Elementary each day at 11 a.m. or at various bus routes throughout Seeley Lake. For more information and for drop-off times and locations visit https://www.mcpsmt.org/seeleyswan.