Students in the Iola school district will soon get a chance for a free meal at the end of the school day.
OPAA!, the district’s meal service provider, proposed the plan to school board members Monday. It would provide a free meal — milk, meat, vegetables, fruit and bread — during afterschool programs. That applies to athletic programs and afterschool clubs, and will be an option for all children at all grade levels regardless of a family’s ability to pay.
For example, members of Iola High’s basketball teams could receive the packaged meals to eat at the start of practice or on the bus while driving to an out-of-town game. Students at SAFE BASE, the afterschool program, also could pick up a meal pack.
The goal is to offer children nutritious food at the end of the school day because it could be hours before their next meal, said Robert Vicin, regional manager for OPAA!. The meal will provide a boost to sustain them until dinner, or during rigorous physical activity that comes with athletic competition. For some who live in food-insecure households, it might be the only meal they have in the evening, he said.
Under the Department of Agriculture, the Child and Adult Care Food Program offers a meal or snack to children in low-income areas. OPAA! and the district have long used the program to provide snacks for SAFE BASE; this would offer more food to all students.
To qualify, a district must report at least half of its students qualify for free or reduced meals. USD 257 reports a rate of 59.1%.
Nationally, USDA reports 17.9% of households with children under 18 were food-insecure in 2023.
School board members suggested a gradual start to the program, likely beginning in the spring. Staci Talkington, the district’s food service director, said it won’t require much time or effort on the district’s part, and will not cost the district anything.
USDA reimburses participating districts for the cost of the meals. Vicin said OPAA! likely will need to hire additional staff, but costs should be covered. Typically, the biggest challenge is for custodial staff who face additional cleanup at the end of the school day, he said.
Vicin and Talkington were accompanied by OPAA!’s Byron Wofford, director of Kansas operations. Wofford said a few districts in Kansas take part in the program, and he would like to take a few Iola administrators such as Talkington to visit one or two of those districts to see how it operates.
“I’m sure those of you with children know what it’s like. My youngest was always starving when he got home,” Wofford said.
“There’s going to be some trial and error to make this work, but everywhere they have it, it’s been a huge success. I think it’s a great opportunity for Iola schools. It’s a win-win.”
New scholarship
The Class of 1972 established a new scholarship for Iola High School and are challenging other classes to do something similar.
Julie Payne and Glenda Pargman outlined plans to award $1,000 per year to an Iola High School student who plans to attend a trade or tech school after graduation, with preference given to those who plan to return to Iola to engage in that trade.
