With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, one of the many complications has been how students who qualify for free and reduced lunch will receive meals now. In the earlier stages of this pandemic, it was this very concern that led to New York City delaying the closure of schools. Despite this worry, New York City schools eventually closed, along with all schools across the country, including IPSD 204. 

On April 17, Illinois Governor J.B Pritzker announced that it was expected all schools in Illinois would remain closed for the remainder of the 2019-20 school year. Soon following this announcement, Superintendent Karen Sullivan sent out an email to members of the District 204 community addressing the concern of students who receive meals through the school, as well as more general supplies for students.

The solution to feeding students is an extension of a program that was instituted immediately following the school closures due to the pandemic. The program includes a partnership with Organic Life, according to their website “a healthy school lunch service,” to provide free meals. It allows all students within the district, regardless of if they usually get free or reduced meals, to fill out a form, which can be found here, then pick up their meals, 11am-1pm Monday through Friday at their local elementary school.

In addition to their partnership with Organic Life, the Indian Prairie Educational Foundation, IPEF, has a fund called Kid Essentials. So far, this fund has put $21,000 towards giving IPSD families food, transportation, supplies, etc. The link to make donations can be found here. It is advised that individuals put a comment to clarify that they are donating to the Kid Essentials fund so that the donations will be relocated properly.