Food For Schoolchildren: Champaign, Urbana, and other area school districts address how to feed students during remote learning this fall
Now that the 2020-21 school year is getting underway, public school districts around East Central Illinois have all adjusted their operating procedures in order to mitigate the public health threat posed by the ongoing pandemic. We kept track of the ever-changing reopening plans here, and we expect that districts will continue to pivot and adjust beyond these plans as circumstances demand.
When some — or all — students are learning remotely, districts have stepped up to ensure that children and families who depend on the meals provided at school will continue to receive them.
What follows is the food distribution information made available by area districts for students – many area school districts are making meals available to ALL children under the age of 18 with flexibility extended by the USDA on benefit for this school year. Please note that distribution procedures may change; we will do our best to keep this updated.
Please contact your child’s school directly if your family encounters any difficulties, and as always, we appreciate reader help in keeping this information as current as we can.
Champaign Unit 4 (website)
The District will distribute 5-day meal boxes to Unit 4 families, similar to what they did during spring and summer 2020 COVID-19 school closures. All children 18 and under can receive meals.
You’ll have two options to get meals: drive-thru sites or at-home delivery.
DRIVE-THRU
- Sites at Booker T. Washington, Jefferson Middle School, and Garden Hills
- Open Mondays, 10am–1pm
- No pre-order required
AT-HOME DELIVERY
- Contact Food Services at (217) 351-3852 to set up at-home delivery
- Meals delivered Fridays, 10–11am
For questions or concerns contact Unit 4 Food Services at (217) 351-3852 or email foodservice@u4sd.org.
Urbana School District 116 (flyer)
DRIVE-THRU
Meal Distribution Drive-up: All School Buildings — UHS, UMS, and Elementary Schools. All children 18 and under can receive meals.
Tuesdays: 11am -1pm, and Thursdays 11am -1pm
The breakfast and lunch meals picked up on Tuesday will be for Tuesday and Wednesday, and the meals picked up on Thursday will be for Thursday, Friday, and Monday.
- Go to a meal distribution site where one or more of your children attends. You will be able to pick up meals for all of your children at one of their home schools.
- Follow the signs directing you to the drive-up location.
- Drive up to the distribution tables but please stay in your vehicle.
- Give the staff member who approaches your vehicle your child’s/children’s name(s), grade(s), and school(s).
- The staff member will provide you with a meal for each of your children.
AT-HOME DELIVERY
They will also have delivery to mobile sites through communities in Urbana. Please contact usd116meals@usd116.org with questions.
Mahomet-Seymour CUSD #3 (website)
All children in the home 18 years of age and under are eligible to receive a free Breakfast and Lunch for every day of the week which will now include weekend Meals. The free meal distribution program is for all Students and Children 18 years of age and under in the Mahomet community.
From email to district parents:
- You will order meals for one week at a time.
- Meal pick up is on Mondays each week AND Thursday each week from 9-10 a.m. at Middletown Prairie Elementary, on the east side of the school.
- Each week, you will receive a survey on Monday to fill out letting them know if you want to pick up meals on Monday and Thursday of the following week. The meal order must be turned in by Wednesday of each week by 2:00 p.m.
Rantoul City Schools #137 (Facebook)
Simply show up to J.W. Eater on Mondays between 4-6 p.m. and tell them how many meals you need for the week.
Rantoul Township High School #193 (website)
Meals will be available during the hours of 9:00-11:00 a.m. on Mondays. Students/Parents will need to come to the West Wing Entrance (the one way on Sheldon Street).