Hill Country Chronicle

Austin ISD issued the following announcement.

When face-to-face on-campus instruction resumes, how will students safely eat lunch not to spread COVID-19?

• To minimize contact, all schools will serve breakfast and lunch in the classroom.
• We are ordering 55,000 desk shields to protect students when they take off their masks to eat.
• Schools may allow meals to be consumed outdoors after they have been delivered to the classroom, however, we understand that this is not feasible for every school and classroom, therefore, this will be a campus-based decision.

While students are engaged in remote learning, will meal distribution continue?

• Yes, AISD students, or parents and caregivers, may pick up breakfast and lunch meals at curbside locations throughout the district.
• Meal service will continue at the current AISD curbside meal sites and we will expand to more schools throughout the district. 
• No matter where or how meals are served, we are committed to providing healthy, tasty, high-quality meals. Our school menus will continue to include chef-prepared, scratch-cooked recipes highlighting local, sustainable, clean label ingredients for both remote and in-person learners. 

How are we keeping staff safe during meal distribution?

As caretakers of our school communities, safety is our top priority. We are committed to following local, state and national guidelines for worker safety. Meal service at AISD is aligned with the Center for Disease Control, Texas Education Agency and Texas Department of Agriculture recommendations to ensure students and staff safety.

• Food Service staff are required to have their temperature checked and go through a health screening each day.
• We are providing personal protective equipment such as masks and gloves, which our team members are required to wear during all food preparation and service. 
• We are also focusing on training and support to ensure our team members follow proper cleaning, sanitation and social distancing guidelines.

Tell us about some of the successes seen through the meal distribution program throughout the summer?

• We are proud of our amazing team for adapting so quickly, shifting our operations from the cafeteria to curbside and bus stop meal sites throughout Austin. Since March, we have served over 1.2 million meals.
• During these challenging times, we are not only providing Austin families with the basic need of nutrition but also much-needed stability and comfort. 
• We have heard from many families over the past few months that these meals have made a positive impact on children, which has helped bring a sense of normalcy during these uncertain times.
• Through support from the AISD Crisis Support Fund, we have also been able to provide delicious meals, prepared by local restaurants, for parents and caregivers. We also teamed up with The Dell Foundation and Common Market to provide free produce boxes filled with local, organic produce. We are proud to say that our efforts are positively impacting our families and the local economy.

Original source can be found here.