As a district, Freedom encompasses students from all economic backgrounds. No matter what situation they are facing, these individuals come to school each day to receive the educational, nutritional and even social benefits that they need. Unfortunately, obtaining a nutritional meal may not come as easily to some individuals.
According to the district’s website, the cost of a lunch at the high school is $2.75 and the cost of a lunch within kindergarten through eighth grade is $2.65. The Pennsylvania government determined that breakfast is free for all students in every school district; although, the costs of meals throughout the school year add up. Over the course of around 180 days of school, a student who purchases a high school lunch each day would develop over $520 worth of meal costs. Paying back a bill of this nature may cause a family to choose between school lunch and a roof over their heads. While the school district occasionally receives donations to alleviate student debt, there is still a need for assistance.
“Students who do not get their basic needs met at home, they can not be academically successful at school,” Ms. Hope Bennett, school counselor, said. “So providing those students who are not getting their needs met at home, such as toiletries or food, allows them to take the pressure off of their survival needs and focus more on their academics.”
This widespread issue is being addressed in many ways throughout the district. Currently, the meal program runs on a free, reduced or paid system. This system goes off of the family’s income. Students can qualify for free or reduced meals based on filling out a form through the district website. This form is then reviewed by the state and then it gets processed within the district. Those who qualify for free and reduced meals receive lunch free of charge, even if they are processed under a reduced charge.
Some districts across the state also work under a program called the Community Eligibility Provision. This partnership allows for students of all grades and economical backgrounds to receive free breakfast and lunch. The school’s food service and Mr. William Deal, the director of teaching and learning, is currently working towards implementing this concept within Freedom. Their goal is to allow for breakfast and lunch, elementary and high school, to be free for all students and help to eliminate some of the student debt.
“A kid’s account can go into the negative and they are still able to get a full lunch. This is, again, at the end of the day why we’re striving to have Freedom as a free district across the board,” Ms. Natalie Roser, food service director, said.
These efforts to provide students with nutritious meals does not end when the last bell of the day rings. Through a partnership with the Darrelle Revis Foundation, a foundation aiming to fight childhood hunger, shipments of food are delivered to the high school each week for students to receive within a program called PowerPak. PowerPak is run under the National Honor Society as one of their service projects. For this, members of the chapter create bagged lunches each week that are delivered to the three campus schools for those in need of assistance. These lunches serve as extra nutritional assistance for after school hours, where students may lack meals.
On the district website, the school provides further information on resources for students to utilize over holidays and if more assistance is needed. Through providing these and the current resources for students, students are able to get the nutrition they need to thrive and grow as students and individuals.