Summer lunch program keeping kids full

The Whitefish School District’s summer breakfast and lunch program is showing positive results.

The district is averaging about 30 breakfast and 60 lunch meals served every day at Whitefish Middle School.

Jay Stagg, district food service director, said the program is doing well for its first year. The program served 478 breakfast meals and 826 lunches during the first three weeks.

Much of the participation is coming from children who are attending the city’s park and recreation summer camp program that is based out of the middle school.

“We get up to 15 kids from off the street,” Stagg said. “We’d like to get more kids from off the street.”

There are no requirements, other than age, for children to participate. Meals will continue to be served through Aug. 9. Breakfast is served from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. and lunch is from noon to 1 p.m.

This is the first year Whitefish has qualified for the program that is based on certain poverty level requirements. The school district receives reimbursement for the meals served.

Stagg has been in contact with a few day care centers planning to come for the meals and he hopes to get even more children.

“This has been a learning experience — we didn’t know how many children we’d have,” he said. “I would like to do more to promote it next year.”

Stagg estimates that by the end of the nine-week period of the program, the district will likely see a profit because its expenses for the meals is less than what the district receives in reimbursement. As part of its expenses, the district is paying the city for the cost of one of the camp employees to serve the meals.

As a result of participating in the program, the district also received a $4,000 grant. The grant allowed the district to purchase a refrigerator, a freezer and grills. The equipment will be used during the summer program and during the school year.