KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After Kansas City, Missouri, Public Schools decided to close for a third straight day amid icy road conditions, administrators also decided to open five schools for lunch to accommodate the families who depend on school to feed their children.
For the first time, KCPS opened the doors to several schools — Gladstone Elementary School, East High School, Northeast Middle School, Central Academy of Excellence, and African-Centered College Preparatory Academy-Lower Campus — for midday meal service from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Despite less than 12 hours of promotion, officials said around 90 students took advantage of the free lunch, but they think many more kids would have shown up if parents were given more notice.
“Very hectic, you know,” said Steven Emery, who brought three of his kids to Gladstone Elementary for a sack lunch. “I work two, well, three jobs. One of them is on certain days and it's kind of hard having all the kids home and mom working too. So, yeah, a little hectic.”
Chris Beaman brought five of his seven kids to East High and hopes the schools will reopen soon.
“I’m ready for them to go back," Beaman said.
With many side streets still covered in ice, the district remained closed to keep people off the roads Wednesday morning.
“That’s really the thing that drives these decisions in the end is can a school bus operate safely on this street?" KCPS spokesman Ray Weikal said. "Unfortunately at this point, we have determined that that is not the case."
The extra day off — most districts on the Kansas side reopened Tuesday and most other districts in Missouri were open by Wednesday — put a strain on families.
“Right now, I took off of work one of my jobs and then I work tonight,” Emery said.
Beaman said he’s been out of work because of an injury and his wife is the provider right now, so it’s been difficult. He said his kids wanted to come grab lunch, which makes it easier on him.
“Chasing them around, different lunches, fighting,” Beaman said, describing the last three days.
The district chose the five locations it opened for lunch based on proximity to a bus line and the concentration of families with the most need.
“The reality is that we have families where they depend on the meals their children get at school," Weikal said. "That is a critical component of their health and wellness."
The district already provides free breakfast and lunch, but 90 percent of its 15,000 students would qualify for free or reduced lunch if it didn't.
“(It's) kind of a relief, having a free lunch, not having to cook for them or go get something else, taking them out,” said Stacy Frecks, who brought her daughters for lunch.
Dana Stephens has been working in school cafeterias for 30 years, including the last 28 as a manager. She’s been at Gladstone Elementary for 10 years.
“For the ones to come out on an icy day like this in the neighborhood, it means a lot to the kids probably to get out of their house and come and get some food,” Stephens said.
Nobody, perhaps aside from some of the kids, is rooting for a fourth straight day of cancelled classes.
“We are very hopefully that school will be in tomorrow,” Weikal said.
Each school had a different menu, which was chosen based on the food the schools had on hand and what would qualify as a reimbursable meal.
