After the last bell rings, some kids go hungry

With summer on the horizon many students are ready to ditch the classroom and enjoy their vacation.

For some, the break might not be as fun-filled. Many students benefit greatly from their access to free breakfast and/or lunch provided while at school; during summer, there are concerns that kid’s nutrition may suffer.

To combat that Sherri Parks, director of Nutrition for Surry County Schools, said Surry County School Nutrition, will be offering free summer meals to all children 18 and younger. The program is underway now through June 20. Parks said the dates and times align with Surry County Schools summer programs.

“We encourage families to join us at our three, free open sites this summer,” Parks said. “The cost of groceries continues to go up and participating in free meals can help stretch the food budget.”

“Learning does not end when school lets out. Neither does the need for good nutrition,” Surry County Schools wrote. They said while summer may mean a break from school, the need for good nutrition does not take a break.

“Folks can bring their children to the school site and look for the Summer Meal Signs,” she explained.

Meals will be available at Rockford Elementary, Franklin Elementary and Westfield Elementary on Monday through Thursday. Breakfast will be served from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and lunch service will run from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. She said the meals must be consumed on site. For more information, visit surryschoolmeals.com.

The meals provided will meet the United States Department Agriculture’s nutrition requirements. According to Parks the free meals will include whole grains, protein, fruit, vegetables and milk.

Parks added that at this time, officials will not be verifying residency so any and all children are welcome. Adults are not going to be left in the lurch either she said, adults can purchase a meal at the same time for $4 per person.

“We typically offer the program at Pilot Mountain Elementary, but we have a maintenance project there this summer and had to move the program to Westfield Elementary,” she explained.

“Good nutrition is essential for learning in school. Continuing healthy eating habits is also important during the long hot summer months. Eating nutritious foods helps ensure students retain their hard learned knowledge,” the system said of the summertime meals program.

“For many of these children, summer vacation can bring the temptation of eating empty calorie snacks and foods that are high in sugar, fats and sodium. And for many others, summer exposes students to an increased risk of hunger and developmental decline. Summertime is a time to play hard… but it is also a time to remember to eat right. Make sure good nutrition remains a priority all summer long, and students will return to school in the Fall healthy, sharp and ready to learn.”

The USDA works with states to ensure that children who receive free or reduced-price school meals can get the nutrition they need when schools are closed for summer break. Through their summer meal programs, approved sites in communities across the country serve meals and snacks to kids 18 and younger at no cost.

The Summer Meals for Kids program was developed by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service to help children, families, and others quickly and easily find summer meal sites near them. They created a website to locate other summer programs at www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sitefinder.

Surry County Schools also released information Thursday about another summer food assistance program for students.

“If your child attends a school where all students get free meals, also known as Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools, your student may be eligible for a new summer food assistance program called SUN Bucks,” the system wrote.

The state said a list of eligible CEP schools can be found at www.ncdhhs.gov/sunbucks-schoolsearch. Mount Airy City Schools at all levels are CEP schools as are elementary and middle schools in Surry County Schools.

Visit the SUN Bucks web page at www.ncdhhs.gov/sunbucks to learn more. Or speak with a SUN Bucks customer service representative by dialing 1-866-719-0141 and choosing option 2.

School nutrition is a serious concern, so much so that Congress needed to step in during the Obama Administration to create new rules regarding the nutritional standards for school meals after evidence showed that the meals were contributing to the childhood obesity epidemic.

“One goal of the law was to help reduce America’s childhood obesity epidemic and reduce health risks for America’s children by helping schools across the country produce balanced meals, so children had access to healthy foods,” the USDA wrote.

“Studies suggest good nutrition leads to better productivity and focus in school and thus greater educational attainment. The effects of dietary factors on cognitive development and function are well established, and certain dietary choices can promote mental fitness, including better concentration and memory. Studies consistently find that school meal programs have a positive impact on educational outcomes,” Tara O’Neill Hayes wrote in a 2021 assessment for the think tank American Action Forum.

She added, “Research suggests that policy targeting student nutrition, particularly through the increased provision of breakfast, may be one of the more cost-effective policy approaches to improve student learning outcomes and test scores.”