The Jefferson City School District started distributing food to students Wednesday on the first day of the extended closure.
Grab-and-go meals are available from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week, and Monday through Friday beginning March 30. Meals will not be offered over the district's previously planned spring break from March 23-27.
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District staff will deliver meals to students' homes if they do not have transportation.
Within 10 minutes of the meals becoming available at Thorpe Gordon Elementary School on Wednesday, two cars with a total of six students had received meals.
Each student may receive one breakfast and one lunch, and the student must be present to receive the meal. Meals are delivered to families in their vehicles outside of each location's kitchen. They are available at the following locations: Lewis and Clark Middle School, Thomas Jefferson Middle School, and East, South, West, North, Pioneer Trail and Thorpe Gordon elementary schools.
The lunch includes a deli sandwich, fresh fruit, a vegetable and milk. Breakfast includes cereal or a cereal bar, fruit and milk.
JC Schools surveyed all district families to determine which families need food support, which families need transportation to get to the designated food location and which families do not have internet access.
Director of Nutrition Services Dana Doerhoff said they have not yet counted the number of meals served, but the survey shows more than 1,000 families would like access to food during the closure.
Superintendent Larry Linthacum said the survey results show there are about 40 families who don't have transportation to pick up food.
"We are so thankful for our nutrition services team who have stepped in to organize the plans to provide these meals and even deliver them directly to families who do not have their own transportation," Doerhoff said.
Linthacum said more students have internet access than he realized, but students who do not can receive paper packets or use the WiFi at each school building.