Corbin, Whitley County change school meal delivery schedules to three days a week

Last week a Fayette County school employee, who delivered food to students, tested positive for COVID-19, and the Whitley County and Corbin school districts are changing their student food delivery schedules to lessen the potential exposure of employees and volunteers to the coronavirus.

On Thursday, Fayette County Public Schools (FCPS) discontinued meal delivery to bus stops throughout the Lexington community while schools are closed during the pandemic after learning late the prior day that a member of transportation department, who was involved in meal service, tested positive for COVID-19.

Although Lexington-Fayette County health officials think the risk of exposure to other staff and the children served is low, FCPS believes the safest course of action is to close the bus stop program, the district said in the release.

Now the meals are only available at pick-up locations at various schools in Fayette County.

The Whitley County School District is changing how often it is delivering food to students, who are out of class due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In our district, we have been fortunate to be able to continue to provide meals for our students using delivery by our buses. (We) want to continue this service for as long as it is deemed safe to do so. We are looking at the process and trying to make it as safe for our employees as we possibly can,” school officials said in a post on the school district’s Facebook page.

The district had been delivering food Monday – Friday to every bus stop in the district, but starting Wednesday, March 25, changed the delivery schedule to Monday, Wednesday and Friday only.

“Each of those days, students will get enough food to last for two days. This is being done to limit person to person contact as much as we can and still provide the service. It will also allow us to provide an extra meal for Saturday,” school officials said in the post.

In addition, the school district will also be doing grab and go meals at Whitley Central Intermediate School, which is located off US25W near Exit 15 on the main campus, and at other elementary schools in the district. Those meals can be picked up from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

This week Corbin Independent Schools followed suit also changing their food schedule from five days a week to three days per week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

“Corbin Schools Food Service will continue to feed all students from Corbin Elementary School and by way of home deliveries,” a notice on the district’s Facebook page stated. “On Monday and Wednesday students will receive meals for two days, and on Friday they will receive meals for three days. The meals can be picked up at the main entrance of Corbin Elementary School from 11:30-12:30.”

If Corbin students need breakfast or lunch, and have not spoken to anyone, please call 528-1303 for more information.

At this time, Williamsburg Independent Schools are keeping to their five-day per week delivery schedule, Superintendent Tim Melton said in an e-mail Monday evening.

Spring break delivery

All three local school districts have spring break scheduled for April 6 – 10.

Corbin Independent Schools will continue providing meals during spring break on the same three-day schedule.

Williamsburg school district will also be continuing food delivery over spring break, Melton said.

In the Whitley County School District during spring break, there will be no Non-Traditional Instruction (NTI) assignments, and the school district won’t be delivering food that week.

Superintendent John Siler said Friday that local churches would be providing food for students that week though.