Summer program provided food for over 15,440 people

The El Dorado School District fed more than 15,000 people during the past three months, thanks to the Seamless Summer Food Program.

“There was a need and we were able to meet that need,” said Grace George, food services director for the El Dorado School District.

She told members of the El Dorado School Board on Monday night that 6,748 breakfasts and 8,695 lunches, for a total of 15,443 meals, were provided during the summer for students and others who were financially unable to provide meals for their families.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture website, the Summer Food Service Program, National School Lunch, Breakfast Programs and the Seamless Summer Option, make it possible for schools to provide nutritious meals after the regular school year ends.

George said because of the success of the Seamless Summer Option for feeding children, “the staff is looking forward to (continuing the program) next year.” She said churches in the area picked up food for children residing in their areas to make sure those needing food were fed. “The kids wanted to come back,” she said, showing a slide of children eating barbecued chicken, watermelon, corn, beans, rolls and milk.

“The food was amazing,” said Superintendent Jim Tucker.

George said that next summer the district will be able to provide another 10,000 meals and will add area locations where children can receive food.

She also reported that the “Breakfast in the Classroom” program started Monday – the first day of school for the 2017-18 school year – and every child in the El Dorado School District, grades kindergarten through fourth, received a free breakfast delivered to the classroom. George said the district received a $12,o00 grant to provide equipment to implement the program – such as extra trash bags, hand wipes and other items.

“Our goal is that no child will be hungry,” George told school board members, noting that statistics prove that children who receive regular, healthy meals, have less discipline

problems and make fewer visits to the school nurse. She said 950 free breakfasts were served on the first day of school and that all student meals met USDA nutritional requirements.

El Dorado High School Principal Alva Reibe reported that the first day of the school year “was great – we have very few issues.”

She said talking with new teachers in the district, “they all said they had a great day.”

Reibe requested that board members approve her recommendation that parking pass fees be levied for students parking at the high school for safety issues and to raise funds to “provide celebrations for students and teachers.”

She said students who receive a parking pass to park cars on the school campus must have a driver’s license to increase the safety of students driving vehicles to school.

She suggested a fee of $15 per school year and seniors who would like to personalize their parking spaces by painting their areas would be charged $50.

“We will monitor (what students paint in their parking spaces) closely,” she said, adding that those with approved parking spaces would receive a verification card to hang on the rear view mirror in the vehicle.

Seniors would receive first choice of the available parking spaces and Reibe said Coach Nick Vaughn, who already monitors attendance and students who are tardy to school, would sell the parking spaces and check the parking lot to ensure safety and compliance to district policies.

The high school principal also told board members that a policy defining punishments for non-compliance regarding the parking pass would be established and presented to the board. She said the pass would only be good for parking spaces during regular school hours and not for events held on the campus after school hours.

“It is truly a safety issue,” Tucker said, adding that it was his recommendation to allow paid, painted parking spaces for seniors.

Members of the board are expected to vote on the issue during the September board meeting.