SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — As thousands of students across the Cajon Valley Union School District head back to school, backpacks and school supplies are getting plenty of attention. But district leaders say one of the most important ingredients for a successful school day starts with a good meal.
Before the first school bell rings, staff at the district's central kitchen are already busy preparing thousands of breakfasts and lunches for students across the East County district.
This school year, the district is also expanding its after-school supper program, providing an additional meal at 18 schools.
"We want those students to attend school and come and have our food each and every day," said Shannon McCarthy-Beasley, the district's director of child nutrition.
The district participates in the federal Community Eligibility Provision, which allows eligible schools to provide free meals to all students, regardless of household income.
District officials say those meals are about more than simply filling students up. They are designed to provide the nutrition students need to stay focused throughout the school day.
"An extra meal that has fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grain items is what is gonna help them get through the rest of the day," McCarthy-Beasley said.
The district's support for students doesn't end when classes do.
Cajon Valley's after-school supper program has continued to grow in recent years. What started at three schools expanded to 10, then 13 last year. This school year, 18 schools will participate.
For working families, the program can also help bridge the gap between the end of the school day and dinner at home.
"I'm a working mom, so I get it," McCarthy-Beasley said. "When I pick up my students at between 3:30 and 4 every day, the first thing is, 'I'm hungry. I want to eat.'"
At the district's central kitchen, staff prepare, pack and distribute meals that eventually make their way to schools throughout the district.
The goal, McCarthy-Beasley said, is simple: to make sure students have access to nutritious food so they can come to school ready to learn.
"We want our kids to know that fresh fruits and vegetables are where it's at, and we want them eating our food," she said. "We want them coming to school each day, to partake in our food."
For the staff preparing thousands of meals each day, it's a responsibility they take personally.
"They put love on every single plate," McCarthy-Beasley said.
