Staff Report
With the closure of all Santa Barbara County K-12 public schools, school districts throughout Santa Barbara share a commitment to meeting the nutritional needs of students. It is a significant priority amongst districts and community members, and district teams have been developing and implementing plans to serve their students during the school closures.
“We recognize that the closure of schools has a tremendous impact on our community,” said Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Susan Salcido. “School districts are working with internal staff as well as working collaboratively across districts and other external organizations to provide nutritious meals for youth throughout Santa Barbara County.”
As of Monday, March 16, 2020, at 2 p.m., the following food distribution plans are in place.
Buellton Union School District
The Buellton Union School District Food Services Team will be providing meals, free of charge, to students during the school closure. These should be consumed off-site to maintain social distancing. Lunches will be distributed in the Oak Valley parking lot between 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. In addition to lunch items, breakfast items will be included for the next morning. BUSD students may also access meals through Lompoc Unified School District. Meals for students are also available at the following sites in Lompoc:
School Sites
Breakfast 7:30am-8:30am and Lunch 11:00am-1:00pm
Buena Vista Hapgood
Clarence Ruth La Canada
Crestview La Honda
Fillmore Lompoc Valley Middle School
Los Berros
Mobile Feeding Locations
Lunch Service from 11:00am-1:00pm
Look for the big yellow bus!
El Camino on J Street
Library on D Street
First Methodist Church on G Street and North Ave
Maple High School
Carpinteria Unified School District
Beginning on Tuesday, March 17, sack lunches will be available at the following school sites: Aliso, Canalino/Carpinteria Family School, Carpinteria Middle School, Carpinteria High School/Rincon–from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. with curbside pickup.
Cuyama Joint Unified School District
Cuyama will provide a “Summer Meal” type of plan during the closure to all Cuyama students for the duration of the closure at their two school locations.
Goleta Union School District
Free grab-n-go meals will be available to all children and teens 18 and under Monday – Thursday (March 16 -19), at Ellwood, La Patera, El Camino, Isla Vista Elementary Schools, and the Goleta Valley Community Center. A bagged breakfast and lunch will both be available for pick up at the same time from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Students must be present and can receive two meals in one trip!
Goleta students can also access meals through the Santa Barbara Unified School District meal program at Dos Pueblos High School, Goleta Valley Jr. High School and San Marcos High School. Additional meal distribution sites are planned for Goleta communities if school closures continue.
Guadalupe Union School District
Guadalupe will be providing free meals to anyone 18 and under at their two school sites. Breakfast will be offered from 7:30-8:30 a.m. and lunch will be offered from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. during the week.
Hope School District
Brown bag lunches will be available on the tables outside the office at each campus from noon-2:00 p.m. on March 16 & 17.
Lompoc Unified School District
LUSD schools will provide meals, free of charge to all children 18 & under during the school closure. LUSD will be serving grab-n-go meals to maintain social distancing. Students are welcome to visit any of the school sites listed here and do not need to bring their student IDs. Breakfast will be served from 7:30-8:30 a.m. and lunch will be served from 11:00 a.m.- 1 p.m.: Buena Vista, Clarence Ruth, Crestview, Fillmore, Hapgood, La Canada, La Honda, Lompoc Valley Middle School and Los Berros.
Los Olivos School District
Los Olivos is working with community partners to provide groceries for free and reduced lunch families.
Montecito Union School District
Students who receive free and reduced lunch are able to go to any of the sites served by Santa Barbara Unified School District to pick up their meals.
Orcutt Union School District
Starting March 16, the Orcutt Union School District Child Nutrition Department will provide an opportunity for families to pick up, at no cost, breakfast and lunch meals in a walk-up or drive thru pick-up service for children 18 and under, regardless of what school they attend or if they are on the meal program. Children must be present in order for meals to be provided.
Breakfast and lunch will be available for pick-up Monday through Friday at the following centrally located school sites from 10:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m.: Orcutt Junior High School, Lakeview Junior High School, Patterson Road Elementary, Olga Reed/OAK8
Santa Barbara Unified School District
Beginning Monday, March 16, bagged meals for children 18 years old and younger may be picked up at 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the following locations: Adams Elementary, Franklin Elementary, Harding Elementary, Monroe Elementary, Dos Pueblos High School, San Marcos High School, Santa Barbara High School, La Cumbre Junior High, La Colina Junior High, and Goleta Valley Junior High. Parents and caregivers should plan on driving their children to any of these sites and picking up meals from their car curbside. Alternatively, they can walk up to the meal cart to receive the meal to take home. Children must be present in order to receive the meal.
Santa Maria-Bonita School District
On Monday, March 16, and Tuesday, March 17, lunch will be provided at students’ nearest Santa Maria-Bonita School District school site at the regularly scheduled times. Students may pick up meals and then take them home. After Wednesday, both breakfast and lunch will be made available in a single distribution. Students 18 years or younger will be able to receive their meals at the closest Santa Maria-Bonita school site.
Santa Maria Joint Union High School District
On Monday, March 16, lunch will be provided at students’ nearest comprehensive high school (Santa Maria, Pioneer Valley, and Ernest Righetti), at the regularly scheduled times. Students may pick up meals in the school cafeteria and then take them home.
Starting Tuesday (3/17/20), breakfast and lunch will be served from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in a walk-up or drive-thru pick up service near the cafeteria for students 18 and under regardless of what school they attend or if they are on the meal program. Students must be present in order for meals to be provided. Students will be able to receive their meals at their closest comprehensive high school: Santa Maria, Pioneer Valley, and Ernest Righetti.
Schools in the Santa Ynez Valley are solidifying a grab-n-go lunch option for students, and plans will be announced shortly. Distribution plans listed are subject to modification. All districts regularly communicate directly with families who attend their schools; families are encouraged to contact their school for more information.
Solvang School District
Grab-and-go lunches are available Monday through Friday, from 12-1:00 p.m. or sooner, if all meals are gone. At time of pickup, breakfast will also be available for the following day. All lunch food picked up must be consumed within 1/2 hour and any breakfast food picked up for the following day must be stored accordingly, i.e. milk and non-perishables stored in refrigerator until ready to use the next day.
The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County is also supporting community nutrition with expanded distributions. A complete list of distribution sites can be found here:https://foodbanksbc.org/get-help/.
