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Breakfast and lunch will be handled a little bit differently at Dewey Public Schools next school year thanks to COVID-19.

Superintendent Vince Vincent said breakfast in the District's cafeteria typically serves Dewey Elementary and Dewey Middle School students. He said they are going to work with Taher – the District's new food service company – to provide a grab and go breakfast for the middle school students.

Dewey High School has gone through this process for a couple years now, so those plans will stay in place. Vincent said doing the grab and go breakfasts with the middle school students will allow elementary students to spread out more in the cafeteria. He said they plan on designating areas on their benches and tables in the cafeteria as "No Eating Spaces."

When it comes to lunch, Superintendent Vincent said the elementary students will once again be served in the cafeteria. He said they will split the elementary classes up.

For instances, there are typically four teachers for four classes per grade level in the District. Superintendent Vincent means that 50-percent of the elementary students will eat in the cafeteria while the other 50-percent eat in their classroom.

In order to provide equity and access to the cafeteria, Superintendent Vincent said they will switch which students eat in the cafeteria and which students will eat in their classroom on a weekly basis. He said the District does not want to slight the students of their opportunity to eat in the cafeteria. The District believes this effort will allow them to maximize the appropriate social distancing for their students in the cafeteria.

Dewey Middle School has decided to go with three scheduled lunch times this school year. Superintendent Vincent said planning for social distancing for secondary education students is more difficult because of their mobility and their class schedules. He said they are planning on having each grade level at the middle school have their own lunch period. They also plan on expanding lunch to take place in the student center and the gym.

This concept applies for the high school. However, they will have four lunch times, one for each grade level. Teachers will be assigned to monitor the meals per usual. Cleaning efforts will also be implemented to further prevent the spread of the virus.

During the Dewey Public Schools Board of Education meeting on Monday night when these plans were revealed, Superintendent Vincent said the plans are subject. He said it depends on what happens with the COVID-19 pandemic locally.