LCPS Child Nutrition and Transportation departments are teaming up on a plan to begin delivery of meals by school bus to all public school students in Lenoir County on Sept. 1.

Families of LCPS students must register for the program in order to receive deliveries. Schools are now collecting registration information, which will allow Child Nutrition to determine staffing needs and Transportation to configure bus routes.

A hot lunch and next-day breakfast will be delivered each weekday to all LCPS students who sign up for the program. The free meals are distributed under the National School Lunch Program and meet USDA nutritional requirements.

“Every student will have the opportunity to register for a lunch and a breakfast for the next day,” Danelle Smith, LCPS Child Nutrition Director, said. “By feeding them, we will help them be successful in school.”

Daycares and other facilities that LCPS students attend may also be eligible for meal delivery. These locations should contact Smith by email at dmsmith@lenoir.k12.nc.us.

Lunch consists of an entree, two vegetables, two fruits and milk; breakfast includes an entree, two fruits and milk.

Since classes were suspended for North Carolina’s public schools in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, LCPS has provided more than 250,000 meals for Lenoir County youth.

Child Nutrition is currently operating grab-and-go curbside meal pickup sites for students and their siblings at eight schools throughout the county from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. weekdays. That program, provided under the district’s Summer Feeding Program, will continue through Aug. 31 at Northeast, Contentnea-Savannah, Moss Hill, EB Frink, Southeast, Kinston High, South Lenoir High and North Lenoir High.

Curbside pickup is scheduled to end Aug. 31.

More information about LCPS’s Child Nutrition Department, including menus, can be found at the department’s website at http://lenoirchildnutrition.org.