Free Breakfast, Lunch For All Students Continues In Marshall County Schools
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MOUNDSVILLE -- Marshall County Schools is continuing its free breakfast and lunch programs for the 2023-24 school year, allowing all students - regardless of their income - to fill their bellies before having to concentrate on learning the "three Rs".
Debbie Derico, child nutrition director for Marshall County Schools, said each day the district feeds about 3,100 students lunch and 2,400 are fed breakfast.
The program started in 2012 as a pilot program at three schools. It was so successful the district decided to expand it to all the schools in the county. The program is funded via federal dollars and $300,000 from the district's operating levy is set aside for the child nutrition program, she said.
Besides the food being free for all students, what also makes the program special is that there is no application process for parents or guardians to go through.
"We feel it's important, and the board does and the community does, to take a holistic approach to teaching a child. Providing free meals ... helps create a positive learning environment," Derico said. "A hungry child cannot learn."
The meals must follow USDA requirements and be whole-grain rich. Breakfast options often include scrambled eggs and toast, cheese sticks, cereal bars and sweeter options such as doughnuts that are whole-grain rich, she said.
"We rotate the menu every five weeks. One of their favorite items is chicken sliders so we have that on there twice," she said.
While lunch is served in the cafeteria, in the morning students have the option to eat some breakfast in their homeroom or first-period classrooms. Items will be taken to the classrooms or students can grab items off kiosks in the hallways.
"Some parents are very grateful they do not have to do the application process. It takes the burden off of them. Some guardians just don't have time to pack that lunch or don't have time to make breakfast," she said.
Derico said her staff members play a big role in students' lives each day of the school year, not only offering good food to eat, but also a smiling face each day.
Students who want extra milk must pay 35 cents. A second lunch costs $1.70 and must be paid via cash.