Schools Closed Because Of Virus; Here’s How They’re Feeding Students

school buses

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has ordered the closing of every school in the state until March 30 amid concerns over the spread of coronavirus. Statewide, nearly 2 million students will not be returning to the classroom for two weeks. Here is an updated blog on what Illinois districts are doing to keep education and school meals continuing through the shutdowns.

CHAMPAIGN

Champaign Unit 4 School District will have three drive-up distribution sites on Mondays 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the following locations:

  • Garden Hills Academy – 2001 Garden Hills Drive
  • Booker T. Washington Stem Academy – 606 E Grove Street
  • Jefferson Middle School – 1115 Crescent Drive

On Fridays, the district will conduct home delivery of meals. Each meal box contains 5 breakfast and 5 lunches.

People receiving the meals must be in a vehicle with closed doors and windows. If the parent or guardian does not have access to transportation, call the Food Service Office at 217.351.3852 to set up home delivery of meal boxes of five breakfasts and five lunches. 

Click here for more information.                       

DANVILLE

Danville Community Consolidated School District. No. 118 is distributing meals at the following times and locations:

  • 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Mark Denman Elementary Parking Lot
  • 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. South View Upper Elementary Parking Lot

DECATUR

Decatur Public Schools

Decatur Public Schools is offering breakfast and lunch to anyone under the age of 18 to pick up between 8:00-10:00 a.m. Families should look for the bright yellow sign (to the left) for the area to pick-up meals:

  • MacArthur High School – 1499 W Grand Avenue
  • Eisenhower High School – 1200 S 16th Street
  • Stephen Decatur Middle School – 1 Educational Park
  • Hope Academy – 955 N Illinois Street
  • Learning activities remain available for families at www.dps61.org/homelearning and printed packets are available at all schools weekdays from 8:30-11:30 a.m. or will be mailed home by request.  

 

URBANA

During the week of March 23-30 Urbana School District #116 will provide meals to children 18 and under who live in the district with a breakfast and lunch meal bag. Drive-up food sites will be located:

  • Dr. King Elementary​: Goodwin Circle Drive
  • Dr. Williams Elementary​: Front circle drive off Washington Street
  • Urbana High School​: Door 9 on Tiger Lane off the gymnasium

Because the district is following social distancing guidelines, they’re asking families to remain in their vehicles while a staff member brings out the meals and places them on a table.  Families must remain in their vehicles with doors and windows closed and indicate by hand signal how many meals bags they need for children under the age of 18.

USD 116 will drop-off meals by 10:00 a.m. in specific neighborhoods with large populations of children.:

  • Countryview​: Meals will be available out by the front mailboxes in the Circle Drive
  • Ivanhoe​: Meals will be available at the pavilion at the park
  • Liberty Commons​: Meals will be available in the community room by the office
  • Loral​: Meals will be available at 29 Fern St. in the empty pad
  • Northwood​: Meals will be available in the Pavilion by the playground
  • Woodland Acres​: Meals will be available in the front porch of office
  • Woods Edge​: Meals will be available under the flagpole at the entrance

Click here for Urbana Schools meal information in English.

Click here for Urbana Schools meal information in Spanish.

Click here for Urbana Schools meal information in French.

 

Reginald Hardwick

Reginald Hardwick is the News & Public Affairs Director at Illinois Public Media. He oversees daily newscasts and online stories. He also manages The 21st Show, a live, weekday talk show that airs on six NPR stations throughout Illinois. He is the executive producer of IPM's annual environmental TV special "State of Change." And he is the co-creator of Illinois Soul, IPM's Black-focused audio service that launched in February 2024. Before arriving at IPM in 2019, he served as News Director at WKAR in East Lansing and spent 17 years as a TV news producer and manager at KXAS, the NBC-owned station in Dallas/Fort Worth. Reginald is the recipient of three Edward R. Murrow regional awards, seven regional Emmy awards, and multiple honors from the National Association of Black Journalists. Born in Vietnam, Reginald grew up in Colorado and is a graduate of the University of Northern Colorado. Email: rh14@illinois.edu Twitter: @RNewsIPM