The Cherokee
County School
District’s School
Nutrition
program was
busier than ever this past
year, as its role took on
greater importance in the
lives of our community’s
children.
When schools were
closed statewide, CCSD
School Nutrition staff
quickly assembled, under
the guidance of Executive
Director Tina Farmer, to
ensure children in need
received bags of breakfasts
and lunches every week
and at no cost.
The community responded
in turn, donating
more than $163,000 to
support the cost of the free
meal program not covered
by USDA grants. CCSD
School Nutrition’s rapid
response and continued
dedication to this community
distribution service
every week until in-person
school reopened earned
national and statewide
accolades.
“When our schools are
open, our teachers see the
effects hunger has on their
students – if a child is
hungry, he or she won’t be
healthy, happy and able to
do his or her best. We
24 CLASS ACT | 2021-2022
knew that we had to find a
way to keep our students in
need fed while our schools
were closed,” Superintendent
of Schools Dr. Brian V.
Hightower said. “The
School Board and I are so
appreciative of our School
Nutrition workers and Ms.
Farmer and school administrators
for stepping up as
essential workers during
the crisis. I was with them
on the front lines each
week, and you could tell
from the parents’ faces,
when you handed them a
bag, how much this help
meant to them. We’re also
incredibly grateful and
humbled by the community’s
support – from the
corporate gifts to the
teachers holding fundraisers
to the moms forwarding
their children’s lunch
money – every dollar
helped feed a child.”
When schools reopened
in August for in-person
learning, CCSD School
Nutrition continued the
weekly to-go meals bags for
students enrolled in CCSD
Digital Learning and for
any other child ages 18 and
under living in Cherokee
County not attending CCSD
in-person school. This
program continued all
school year and expanded
CCSD’s School Nutrition team provided meals throughout the
pandemic.
this summer through a
partnership with MUST
Ministries, through which
its volunteers helped
deliver weekly bags of
meals prepared by CCSD
School Nutrition to distribution
sites throughout the
community.
Funding from USDA
allowed for CCSD School
Nutrition to waive the costs
for meals for all students,
both in-person and Digital
Learners, this past school
year and over the summer,
and it will continue to be
able to do so for all of this
school year or until the end
of the national state of
emergency.
CCSD’s School Nutrition
program, which for
three consecutive years
won the State’s top honors
for providing fresh and
healthy choices on every
menu, prides itself on
quality, variety and meeting
students’ diverse
dietary needs.
Every day, CCSD
students choose from a
What’s
While school meals will be
provided at no charge to
students through the end of
the National State of Emergency,
it is still important
for parents to fill out the
forms for Free/Reduced
Meals. This data allows
CCSD to access federal
resources for schools and
families in need of additional
support. You can fill
out the form at the link in
the QR code. Thank you!
COOKING
in School Nutrition
selection of lunch entrees
– with more than 30+
different entrees monthly
– and which always include
a fresh meal-size salad; a
fruit, cheese and yogurt
plate and a peanut butter