Jackson Public School District students walked through the Bates Elementary School cafeteria, grabbing plates from the shelf above the stainless steel serving line. Behind the line, a masked and gloved cafeteria worker placed barbecue chicken wings, french fries, a roll and small containers filled with fruit on white styrofoam plates. Near the line’s exit, students picked up milk or juice to add to their tray before heading to their seats at low-slung cafeteria tables. Teachers monitored the scene, opening juice cups and milk cartons. The scene looked much like one on a regular school day, but there was one difference – it was after 5 p.m.
The district began its expanded JPS Supper Meal Program on Nov. 3. The program, known formally as the Child and Adult Care Feeding Program, is USDA grant-funded.
“We’re part of the community and this is certainly a need and a void that we can fill,” Jackson Public Schools Executive Director of Public Engagement Sherwin Johnson told the Mississippi Free Press on Nov. 4.
Executive Director of Child Nutrition Marc Rowe said the district has operated the program for the past four school years and added five new schools to it this year.
“We saw a need. We filled a need,” Rowe said.
The program operates Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Students enrolled in after-school enrichment programs, including sports, receive a free meal on-site. Adults may purchase a meal for $4, which may be taken off-site.
Jackson Public Schools Executive Director of Child Nutrition Marc Rowe said the program relieves some of the burden for parents and guardians trying to keep their children fed.
“It’s been an overwhelmingly positive experience,” Rowe told the Mississippi Free Press on Nov. 5. “I mean, your child’s been in school all day. For you to pick your child up after school, after they finish with the enrichment program, and to know that they’ve been fed a supper meal is relieving. You know your child hasn’t been hungry during the day or when they’ve been participating in that enrichment program.”
Rowe said the district is currently operating the program at eight sites, including Bates Elementary School, Blackburn Middle School and Kirksey Middle School. The district added Spann Elementary, Walton Elementary, Forest Hill High, Jim Hill High and Lanier Jr./Sr. High during this year’s expansion.
Jackson Public Schools said in an Oct. 31 press release that the sites were selected “based on participation data from the District’s Summer Meal Program, which identified them as high-traffic and easily accessible sites for families.” Rowe added that the district may add more sites as the year progresses.
“We’re always in the process of adding sites depending on the enrichment program,” Rowe said. “So we may start out the year with seven sites and by the time we get to the end of the year be close to 30.”
Rowe said that the goal is to ensure students receive a third nutritious meal each day. Each meal includes meat, bread, a vegetable, fruit, and milk or juice.
“We are in an urban school district and we have the scholars during school during the day,” Rowe said. “If they’re in an enrichment program after school, there’s a long period between the lunch that we serve them and the time that they go home after they leave the program. So we thought it was a great idea to provide an extra meal service during the after-school programming so that child wouldn’t go an extended time period without that third meal.”
The Jackson Public School System provides students breakfast and lunch at no cost as part of the Community Eligibility Provision. CEP allows schools that serve predominantly low-income children to offer meals at no cost through the and without collecting individual applications for free and reduced-price meals.
The district said that individuals who wish to support the JPS Supper Meal Program through donations should contact the Community Foundation for Mississippi.
