Most school districts around Iowa will be closed for at least the next month to help prevent the spread of 2019 novel coronavirus, including Perry and Adel-DeSoto-Minburn, which has raised public concerns surrounding students who rely on the school food programs.

Perry in particular has seen a need to address the issue, as the District has the highest percentage of students in the free and reduced lunch program in Iowa. To that end, Superintendent Clark Wicks says they will serve meals once spring break has ended March 23rd, and it will continue through April 13th when the closure is expected to be lifted. Each weekday, students can go to the high school or elementary between 10:30 a.m. – noon for a free “grab-and-go” meal that will include breakfast and lunch.

Wicks says administration felt it was important to ensure families had their critical needs met during a time of great difficulty, and they saw providing meals as the most important. “Well, we want to make sure that the community knows we have a great deal of compassion not only for our students, but for our staff. And we want to make sure people are taken care of during this tough time, so we’re all willing to be able to help to the greatest degree that we can. And right now making sure people are fed is a pretty high priority for us.”

ADM will also offer meal assistance for students starting March 23rd, though the details are still being finalized. Some good news came recently for Iowa school districts, as Governor Kim Reynolds announced she would sign any bill presented to her that would waive the requirements for missed school days due to COVID-19. Keep listening to Raccoon Valley Radio for the latest information on the pandemic’s local impact.