UPDATED: As of March 23, Gov. Ralph Northam has officially closed all K-12 schools in Virginia through the remainder of the school year, per this order. After spring break, schools will continue to provide grab-and-go meals for students and parents throughout the region.
For students who rely on daily meals provided by their school’s cafeteria, options are starting to pop up across the region, as schools are closed for the remainder of the school year.
Below, find out how each of these counties in Northern Virginia are approaching the schedule change and feeding their students.
Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) will continue its current breakfast-and-lunch plan by offering grab-and-go meals for all ACPS students on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at various pickup locations.
Students can get up to two days worth of breakfast and lunch on Mondays and Wednesdays, and one day’s worth on Fridays. There is no registration or sign-up required for this service.
Pickup locations include:
William Ramsay Elementary School: 5700 Sanger Ave., Alexandria
Francis C. Hammond Middle School: 4646 Seminary Road, Alexandria
Cora Kelly School for Math, Science and Technology: 3600 Commonwealth Ave., Alexandria
Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School: 1501 Cameron St., Alexandria
T.C. Williams High School: 3330 King St., Alexandria
For more information, please visit acps.k12.va.us.
Arlington Public Schools (APS) is continuing to offer free grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches, free to any child ages 2 to 18, at various locations. The child must be present to get the meals; no parents will be authorized to pick up food without the child.
Pickup locations have expanded to include:
Campbell Elementary School: 737 S. Carlin Springs Road, Arlington
Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School: 3500 23rd St. S., Arlington
Hoffman-Boston Elementary School: 1415 S. Queen St., Arlington
K.W. Barrett Elementary School: 4401 N. Henderson Road, Arlington
Kenmore Middle School: 200 S. Carlin Springs Road, Arlington
Key Elementary School: 2300 Key Blvd., Arlington
Randolph Elementary School: 1306 S. Quincy St., Arlington
Pickup will be available outside of each building from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, please visit apsva.us.
Fairfax County Public Schools is continuing to offer grab-and-go lunches, curbside pickup and, in some cases, delivery of free breakfast and lunch for local children, ages 2 to 18.
All FCPS students (regardless of age) are eligible for free grab-and-go breakfast and lunch. Other county children, under the age of 18, can also receive a meal. Adults may pay $2 for the meals. Students must be present to collect free meals.
Every location is open Monday through Friday, and local residents can find their nearest location via the Fairfax County Public Schools interactive map. There are currently over 45 locations offering meals for local children in Fairfax County. For a list of all pickup locations and more information, please visit fcps.edu.
Update: “In response to the extended closure due to the COVID-19 public crisis, Falls Church City Public Schools is proud to provide ongoing meal support to our students and their families. Each week any family in need, not just those who participate in the Free and Reduced Meals Program, can order seven breakfasts and seven lunches for each child in their family,” Falls Church City Public Schools recently stated.
The meals will be boxed and ready to pick up at their preferred location, either George Mason High School or Thomas Jefferson Elementary School. Families need to order their meals by each Wednesday at 2 p.m. and they can be picked up each Friday morning between 9 a.m. and noon, observing safe social distancing. The program began April 3, and will run through the length of the school closure.
For more information, please visit fccps.org.
Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) continues to expand and extend free meals to local children, Monday to Friday, at multiple school locations and pickup locations across the county.
School-based meal service will be provided from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., and students will be allowed two meals per day (breakfast and lunch) and will be permitted to pick up both meals simultaneously if desired.
LCPS is reaching students that rely heavily on school for nutrition support by using a school bus fleet to deliver meals to more accessible locations, such as community centers and churches, and will be expanding that further now that schools are closed for the remainder of the school year. There are now more than 25 pickup locations across the county. Check the interactive map for the location nearest to you.
For more information, please visit lcps.org.
As of April 9, MCPS has not yet informed local residents on nutrition service updates for the remainder of the school year. Please check back on Monday, April 13 for more information.
Prior to spring break, Manassas City Public Schools was offering up to five breakfasts and lunches available to all students Monday through Friday, offered through Friday, April 3. Pick-up took place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Osbourn High School, George C. Round Elementary School and Weems Elementary School. All students were eligible through the age of 18. For more information, please visit mcpsva.org.
Prince William County Schools will offer to-go meals to all students under the age of 18 at various pickup locations across the county. The county has now gotten approval for parents to pick up meals without a student present, but “staff will request parents or guardians produce proof of student enrollment in the form of student ID, report card or other official school documentation with the child’s name printed on the document, and provide names of non-school-age or children not enrolled in school, who are 18 years old and under.” Pickups are both breakfast and lunch. All will be held at the front door of every location, Monday through Friday from 9 to 11 a.m., and you can find the location nearest to you through this interactive map.
For more information, please visit pwcs.edu.
Check out our more local coverage on COVID-19 (coronavirus) here.
