- School district's in Duval County received a USDA grant over $2 million for nutritional funding.
- San Diego ISD received $1.3 million that will be used towards student meals.
- The federal money will help cover the ever raising costs of food.
Increasing the price of food doesn’t just affect our kitchen at home. On Wednesday, Aug. 21 help was given to three school districts in Duval County.
Students going hungry is not an option. The school districts received over $2 million from the USDA’s lunch program. The federal money will help cover the ever-rising costs of food.
San Diego Independent School District’s Superintendent Dr. Rodrigo Pena said San Diego will get over $1.3 million.
“To be able to provide a good breakfast and a good lunch to our students. Cause sometimes the best meal is for these students is the meal they get here in our schools,” Pena said.
The money will help a hundred percent of the students. Dr. Pena said the nearly 1,500 students at his district won’t go hungry.
“Having students not to worry about or not being hungry in the classroom. That way they can focus on their education. All the students qualify for a free lunch. That’s a great thing too. We got about 90 percent of our students economically disadvantaged, so pretty much everybody qualifies for a free lunch,” Pena said.
With the assistance of federal funding, the districts will be able to continue to provide nutritional meals and do some upgrades to the cafeteria.
San Diego seventh grader Erica Gonzalez said she takes advantage of the school’s after-dinner program. She said her siblings eat a lot and they like the food, but she also knows that some of her classmates may not be as lucky to eat at home.
“I think it’s very helpful because they would not be eating right now,” Gonzalez said.
Not only does everyone get free food but there are choices.
“I think it’s very helpful because they don’t have to but they’re going to. I think that’s very helpful. I like that they gives us more options. Instead of your giving that day, you can have a salad of cheeseburger, or pizza. I really like that,” Gonzalez said.
Through this grant, Freer ISD will receive more than $600,000 and Benavides ISD will receive more than $160,000.
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