Desiray Seaux / Crowley Post-Signal
The Acadia Parish School System is applying for an alternative emergency meals program after halting the “grab-and-go” program earlier this week.
Superintendent Scott Richard announced that the meal program for parish students was stopped in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus and for the safety of employees and those receiving the meals.
The new program is tentative and in the preliminary sign-up phase, Richard said in a notification posted on the School Board’s website.
“The Acadia Parish School Board’s Child Nutrition Program has applied to Emergency-Meals-To-You, a partnership between the Louisiana Department of Education and the Baylor University Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty,” Richard explained.
If the parish system receives approval, the program would provide shelf-stable, easily prepared meals directly to Acadia Parish students via UPS. Meals for a week — 10 meals per student — will be delivered.
While awaiting approval, the system is asking households interested in receiving the deliveries to sign up. The sign-up/survey form is available on the board’s website — www.acadia.k12.la.us.
Those participating will be asked to provide:
— Current physical address;
— Consent to receive deliveries; and
— Names of all public school students living in the household.
“It is our understanding that an eligible student must be enrolled in an Acadia Parish School System public school,” Richard said.
The program will be led by the Louisiana Department of Education, with the Acadia Parish School Board providing any necessary assistance.
Richard stressed that the school system is still awaiting approval.
“We are working to assess the interest of parents as we await approval,” he said. “We do not have specific time lines at the time of this survey.”
For questions, email school.lunch@acadiaschools.org.