CHICAGO — Chicago Public Schools students will still be able to get free breakfast and lunch during the district’s scheduled spring break, CPS CEO Janice K. Jackson announced Wednesday, but pickup sites will be consolidated moving forward.
CPS has been distributing the grab-and-go packs — containing three days’ worth of breakfast and lunch per child — since the March 17 school shutdown due to COVID-19 concerns.
The district is consolidating efforts to ease the burden on lunchroom staff and school administrators, cutting the number of participating schools down to 276 while phasing out those in low-demand areas starting April 13.
The consolidation will ensure that 52 percent of city schools can continue to offer free meals on a daily basis, and that 90 percent of all students will be within one mile of a meal distribution site. About 75 percent of sites are on the city’s South and West sides, officials said
“Chicago is offering the most ambitious free meal distribution program in the country, and we are committed to providing free meals at the majority of our schools for the entire time schools are closed,” Jackson said. “The modifications we are making will provide additional support for our school staff, and ensure a strong staffing plan is in place that helps prevent disruption for our families.”
Meal distribution, from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. during spring break, will start Monday, April 6 and end Thursday, April 9 at the following schools:
After April 13, the following meal sites will be open:
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