Oregon Democrat Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden are urging the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to continue critical flexibility that has allowed students to access much-needed meals throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. If extended throughout the 2020-2021 school year, children would maintain access regardless of school opening status, and struggling school nutrition programs would benefit from additional financial relief.<\/p>\n
“The COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools around the country to close their buildings and shift instruction to online and distance-learning models,” the senators wrote. “For many children, school breakfast and lunch may be the only healthy and regular meals they receive.”<\/p>\n
The senators continued, “The economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted in millions of parents losing their jobs, and millions more students will be dependent on school-provided meals. School meal program directors must begin procuring food, equipment, and supplies and placing orders now in preparation for the upcoming school year.”<\/p>\n
Para ayudar a garantizar que los directores y el personal del programa de comidas escolares tengan la certeza de que necesitan comenzar a prepararse para el pr\u00f3ximo a\u00f1o escolar, los senadores instan al USDA a extender una variedad de exenciones que ayudar\u00e1n a garantizar que los estudiantes de bajos ingresos puedan acceder a las comidas proporcionadas por la escuela. durante el pr\u00f3ximo a\u00f1o escolar.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the senators are calling on the USDA to reimburse schools for the transportation costs for delivering meals to low-income students: “While many school meal programs are managing these costs for the time-being, they cannot continue absorbing them for the foreseeable future. We ask that the USDA make additional funds available to schools to assist with the cost of delivering meals to low-income students until regular school operations are restored.”<\/p>\n
This letter comes as some of the largest school districts in Oregon announced that they would be transitioning to full-time, online only instruction through at least November. As of now, those school districts include Beaverton, North Clackamas, Lake Oswego, Portland Public Schools, Hillsboro, and Salem-Keizer.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Oregon Democrat Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden are urging the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to continue critical flexibility that has allowed students to access much-needed meals throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. If extended throughout the 2020-2021 school year, children would maintain access regardless of school opening status, and struggling school nutrition programs would […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-in-the-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n