TUSD offers free meals to all children under 18 years old

To ensure that home-bound students continue the learning process during their days away from the classroom, the Tehachapi Unified School District (TUSD) prepared and provided packets of enrichment instructional materials for all grades, transitional kindergarten (TK) through grade 12.

Chief Administrator of Instructional Services Scott Heitman's team passed out the packets to parents in cars March 23 at the feeding stations at Golden Hills and Tompkins elementary schools and Jacobsen Middle School. Later, cars lined up in front of school district headquarters on S. Robinson St. as the Instructional Services team inquired of the parents what grades were needed and ran back into the building to get the right packets.

The packets contain materials for 10 days. After a recommendation from Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Mary C. Barlow, public school closures have been extended through "at least Friday, May 1, 2020, to help contain the spread of COVID-19," according to a KCSS press release.

Heitman said TUSD worked with the Kern County Superintendent of Schools to prepare baseline material for grades TK-8, and TUSD prepared the baseline materials for grades 9-12. Teachers supplemented the materials and are in contact with the students.

The materials may be accessed on the TUSD website.

The students will not be required to bring the work back to school for assessment or grading.

"This has been a team effort, Heitman said. "The response has been overwhelmingly positive."

The school district announced on March 17 that meals would be available for students and others.

According to their official announcement:

"TUSD is offering a free drive-through and walk-up meal plan program beginning Wednesday, March 18 to help ensure that children have access to nutritional meals when school is not in session. The program will provide free lunch to all children age 18 and under and all individuals with disabilities regardless of age. All children and individuals with disabilities must be present to receive the meals provided. TUSD staff will hand our pre-bagged meals which will include lunch for the day and breakfast for the following morning."

Meals can be picked up at three locations:

• Jacobsen Middle School, 711 Anita Dr. from 11 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday.

• Tompkins Elementary, 1120 South Curry St. from 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Monday through Friday.

• Golden Hills Elementary, 20215 Park Rd. from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.