Fresno schools announce summer meal plan and ask parents help for fall semester

Families participating in Fresno Unified’s free meal program will be given two meals on Thursday, which will be the last day of the current free meal program. There will be no meal distribution on Friday.

The new summer session meal plan for families begins on June 8.

Students left campus to not return this spring semester due to COVID-19. After the shuttering of schools, school districts around Fresno all served free meal plans to students and families.

FUSD has distributed about 3 million meals since the free meal program began in March.

“Things right now are tough. We are trying to do what we can on a humanitarian standpoint to partner with local resources in meaningful ways to make life easier for the families of the city of Fresno,” Superintendent Bob Nelson said at a news conference Tuesday.

Summer meals will be distributed at 22 sites from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Families will pick up both daily meals during that time.

Families will also double up on meals on July 2 in connection with the Fourth of July holiday.

In addition to the 22 sites for meal distribution, FUSD is working with the Central California Food Bank and Every Neighborhood Partnership to provide food box distribution at 13 additional sites.

Times, dates and locations for food box pick-up are posted on the FUSD social media page and website.

“We are going to feed you all summer long at 22 sites. Additionally, if you need boxes of food, on nearly every day, on a rotating basis and schedule, there will be opportunities for you to come pick up stuff,” Nelson said.

How should fall semester run?

Nelson also announced the release of a survey for FUSD parents. This survey will help FUSD board members and administrators figure out what the fall semester should look like.

“We need to talk with our parents on what schools are going to look like come August,” Nelson said.

The survey indicates district leaders are examining several scenarios, including a full return to campuses or maintaining completely online distance learning or a “hybrid” that would involve some combination of both remote instruction and in-person classes.

“We are toggling between those based on the factors that exist. We recognize that we need to develop a strategic reopening plan that allows flexibility because restrictions and perimeters keep changing with limited notice,” Nelson said.

Nelson said input from FUSD families is “essential.”

A report on guidelines for reopening schools was released on May 27, but it is yet unclear what schools will look like in the fall.

The survey will be released in English, Spanish and Hmong. Parents can access the survey via the parent portal on ATLAS, the FUSD website, and through a QR code, which will be texted to families. Nelson said the survey would end on June 11.

Nelson said once that information is collected, FUSD will release its full plan for reopening schools in the fall.

“Our goal is to bring back as many kids as we can for as much time as we possibly can, but we want to do that in a manner that is safe and appropriate,” Nelson said.

The Education Lab is a local journalism initiative that highlights education issues critical to the advancement of the San Joaquin Valley. It is funded by donors. Learn about The Bee’s Education Lab on our website.

This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 8:20 AM.