LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Only Jefferson County Public Schools students will be allowed to receive meals through the district's feeding program starting next week, the district announced Monday.
JCPS, which has served about two million meals since classrooms closed in March, will assign barcodes that families and students can use on Tuesdays and Thursdays once the 2020-21 school year starts remotely Aug. 25.
Families will receive those bar codes in letters from JCPS, according to the district. Julia Bausher, executive administrator of school and community nutrition services, said barcodes can be generated on-site with students' names, birth dates and schools.
"This is going to be very different," she said. "We have served lots of children in this community that are not old enough to enroll in school."
The program has been open to any Jefferson County youth since its inception. JCPS Superintendent Marty Pollio said he will seek a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to continue its expanded meal service when the 2020-21 school year begins.
"It is so important that we get that waiver to make sure that all children in this community get the food that they need to be successful," Pollio said Monday at Luhr Elementary School. "... Sometimes the only meals they get, the only secure meals they get are a breakfast and lunch meal at a JCPS facility."
Meals will be available for free to students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch or attend schools that receive free meals from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 131 sites Tuesdays and Thursdays. Normal meal fees apply for other students.
MAJOR CHANGES >>> JCPS served its 2,000,000th free meal today! But in a press conference today, it was announced there are some big changes coming to how the meal program will work starting August 25. pic.twitter.com/9zOwMC6A6u
— Katrina Helmer (@KatrinaWDRB) August 17, 2020
Students will receive two breakfasts and lunches on Tuesdays and three breakfasts and lunches on Thursdays, according to the district.
JCPS is also considering delivering meals by bus, gauging interest from families on its "NTI 2.0" meal registration form.
JCPS starts the upcoming school year with at least six weeks of distance learning next week. Gov. Andy Beshear has asked school districts to delay the start of classroom instruction in 2020-21 until at least Sept. 28 given the recent escalation of COVID-19 in the state, a request that some school leaders aren't following.
To sign up for the JCPS "NTI 2.0" meal service, register on the district's School and Community Nutrition Services website at jcpsfood.org.
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