Students in the Webster City Community School District will now receive free breakfast and lunch meals, following notification last week from the USDA that the district was approved for the program.

The Food and Nutrition Service of the U. S. Department of Agriculture announced in late August that the free summer meal programs could continue into the fall and possibly as late as Dec. 31, 2020, depending on how long the funds last.

Webster City Food Service Director Lori Hartnett said that students in the district in grades K through 12, including those who are learning remotely, can receive meals at no cost beginning immediately.

Hartnett said families with remote learners can pickup meals daily from 11 to 11:15 a.m. only as follows:

• Northeast Hamilton, for NEH students);

• Middle school, for middle schoolers or Sunset Heights students

• High school, for high school students and Pleasant View students

“Each building has a sign with the pickup door location,” she said. “At Northeast its at the south (daycare) entrance. The middle school pickup is on the northside and there’s a door bell there.

“At the high school, they can pickup at the loading dock area near the tennis courts. There’s also a door bell there,” Hartnett said.

Those picking up meals just have to ring the bell and a staff member will bring the meals to the door. The meals are the same as those being served to in-person students in the district. Hartnett said there was no need to call ahead to reserve a meal. The student doesn’t need to be present to pick up the meal, but the district will need to have the name of the child, Hartnett said.

“The program is just for students enrolled in the Webster City Community Schools district,” she added. Students will still have to pay for a la cart items and the program does not cover adult meals.

Hartnett said she believed that the free meal program will have a big impact on local families.

“We know there’s a need. Our district is over 50 percent for the free and reduced meals as it is,” she said. “To me this is a huge thing. I hope we get more kids to eat lunch and breakfast.”