In a bid to make sure that students stay fed over the holiday break, Dallas ISD will be distributing free meals on Monday.
Roughly 85% of district students were classified as “economically disadvantaged” during the 2021-2022 school year, according to the Texas Education Agency (TEA).
“[T]he Food and Child Nutrition Services department plans to provide a ‘pop-up’ meal service FREE of cost to all children 18 years and younger,” reads a new release published by the district. “Three breakfasts and three lunches will be served in a ‘pop-up’ format on Monday, Nov. 20. Meals are served while supplies last.”
Some of the meals require cooking. Dallas ISD advises parents and students to consult meal instructions. Click here to see which campuses will serve as meal distribution sites.
“If the weather is GOOD, we will have a ‘pop-up’ meal service. A delivery truck will park at the main entrance driveway to the campus. Meals will be served from the truck. Meal service will last until supplies run out or until the service time ends,” reads the news release. “If there is RAIN, meals will be served by employees at the front/main entrance of each school.”
Yetzel Meza, a spokesperson for Dallas ISD’s Food and Child Nutrition Services department, spoke with NBC 5 DFW about the initiative.
“We want to make sure all students are well nourished and ready to come back to school after the break, so for that reason, we want to make sure that everyone is well-fed during the break,” Meza said.
Dallas ISD has been struggling to provide a quality education to the students in its charge. According to the TEA, only 41% of students scored at grade level on their STAAR exams during the 2021-2022 school year. Furthermore, almost 20% of its seniors failed to earn a diploma in four years despite the hard work of the district’s hardworking educators.