Clover School District waiver allows all students to get free meals through Dec. 31
This COVID-19 relief effort will help even more students in York County.
The Clover School District will provide free meals to all of its students through Dec. 31, or until federal funds for the program are spent, a release from the district states. The district had applied for a waiver for this purpose after the United States Department of Agriculture announced on Aug. 31 that it would extend its summer meal operations.
“This unprecedented move will help ensure — no matter what the situation is on the ground — children have access to nutritious food as the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic,” a release from the USDA states on Aug. 31.
The free meals in Clover include breakfast and lunch. Receiving the free meals will be an automated process requiring no action on the part of families, the release states. A la carte menu options or extras will still be charged to the student’s account.
Students in the Clover Virtual Academy are eligible to receive meals as well. They will be able to pick up meals at any district school. The district will provide procedural details — how and when meal pick-ups will happen — later this week, district spokesman Bryan Dillon told The Herald.
“It’s important to our parents,” Dillon said. “You know, some parents may still be struggling with less hours, or furloughs, or job losses because of the pandemic. So that’s why it’s important: having that not be a worry for students and making sure they are able to be fed — still and consistently.”
Several other school districts across South Carolina, including York County’s Fort Mill and Rock Hill school districts, announced that they also will be able to provide free meals to their students through the rest of the year.
This story was originally published September 10, 2020 at 3:22 PM.
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