VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – Vigo County School Corporation leaders on Wednesday changed some policies regarding delivering food to students amid school closings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Starting Monday, April 6, food distribution sites throughout the county will be operating only on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Children will receive two days of food consisting of breakfast and lunch each day the distributions happen, except on Fridays when one day worth of food will be provided.
“Moving to this format will limit the number of times that students and staff need to leave their homes,” the corporation said in a news release announcing the changes.
Other changes announced Wednesday included expanding the number of food distribution sites and stopping access to school corporation buildings. The locations for the expanded number of food sites should be announced in a few days.
Read the news release in its entirety below:
TERRE HAUTE, IN-The Vigo County School Corporation is enhancing their response to COVID-19 in an effort to help county residents stay at home and comply with Governor Holcomb’s directive.
The enhancements include changes to food distribution, staffing, and building access.
Food Distribution:
-Beginning Monday, April 6, food distribution for children at sites throughout the county will occur on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays only. Children will receive two days’ worth of meals on Monday, two days’ worth of meals on Wednesday, and one day’s worth of meals on Friday. A day’s worth of meals include a breakfast, a lunch, and two milks. Moving to this format will limit the number of times that students and staff need to leave their homes.
-We will expand the number of distribution sites starting next Monday, in order to reach as many children who need food as possible. The map at tinyurl.com/teamvigofood will be updated this weekend to reflect the changes. Details will be available this weekend, and the map will be maintained daily.
– We are updating our procedures at these sites. After people have entered the parking lot, but prior to pulling up to the meal distribution area, they need to open their trunk or rear lift gate so our employees can deliver the meals while maintaining a safe distance. As they arrive, they should indicate with their fingers the number of meals they are picking up. We believe both of these changes will increase the safety of everyone involved.
Staffing:
-We had originally announced that the Vigo County School Corporation would operate with a limited number of on-site employees until April 6, and we are now extending that policy until Monday, April 20. Hourly employees working remotely will be engaged in professional development or will be assisting in our remote learning efforts. If Governor Holcomb extends a stay-at-home order past April 20, we will likely extend this policy.
Building access:
-In order to encourage everyone to stay at home, we are no longer allowing access to our school buildings. We recognize that some schools have set up days for students to retrieve items, but those will now be cancelled. We apologize for any inconvenience, but the public health risk is now too great. If students are missing a resource, they should let their teacher know on April 6 when teachers contact students to start remote learning. Our teachers are creative, compassionate, and flexible: they will work with students. Backup packets are now available at vigoschools.org, for students in grades K-8 who have lost their packet.
