Despite the mandatory closure of West Virginia’s schools because of COVID-19, Monongalia County Schools is still providing meals for children at all 17 schools and by bus delivery to select locations.
“Our kids eat a ton so this is awesome,” Addie Hosey said while picking up five lunches at Morgantown High School on Tuesday.
Gov. Jim Justice declared schools would continue to provide meals when he ordered the states’ schools close until at least March 27.
Hosey, a stay-at-home-mom to five — ages 17, 16, 15, 13, and 9 — said she is able to make a plan to feed the kids during the summer, but didn’t have the opportunity to do so with the suddenness of this school closure.
Beginning Monday, all 17 of Monongalia County’s schools started serving “grab & go” take-out lunches from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Director of Child Nutrition Brian Kiehl said.
On Tuesday, bus delivery started to select locations. The full list of bus delivery locations is available at boe.mono.k12.wv.us and inside each school.
More than 400 meals were served on Monday, Kiehl said.
The short notice has been the biggest challenge in getting the meals out, according to Kiehl.
“Things are changing literally minute-by-minute,” he said. “Trying to get information to over 100 cooks at 17 different locations and trying to get it out instantaneously so we can be prepared to serve meals.”
It’s not clear when the meal programs will end; it’s up to what Justice decides, Kiehl said.
In the meantime, school employees, at least bus drivers and cooks, will continue working through what’s been declared a global pandemic that has triggered state of emergency declarations in both the United States and West Virginia.
“I’m very grateful to cooks and bus drivers that they are willing to be active participants in feeding students in our county,” Kiehl said.
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