Anthony ISD implements unique meal service to ensure students receive food

ANTHONY, Texas (KVIA) — Nutrition is key to a successful start to the school year. With many school classes moving online during the pandemic, the way students receive that nutrition has changed. 

Anthony Independent School District is taking a unique approach to solve the problem: delivering meals to students’ homes directly. Students will receive a breakfast and lunch delivery at some time between 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. 

“Anthony is a small, small town,” said Child Nutrition Program Manager Jesus Carrasco. “We don't have that many kids. It's like a two-mile radius so I think we can cover it. I think we can. It’s a doable project.”

Meal coordinators have divided the district into six regions. Six trucks are then deployed to deliver the meals. Students are automatically enrolled in the program. 

“It’s a challenge,” Carrasco said. “We’re going to make some mistakes and we're going to get better.”

Carrasco said one of the reasons the district chose to implement such a program is because there was concern some children would not have a ride or means of getting to campus to pick up food otherwise. 

“It's a low income community, so we want to cover that gap, have that breakfast and lunch for the kids,” Carrasco said. “We want to arrive there and kind of make it like it’s still a regular school day for them.”