(WKBN) – As millions of school kids in Ohio are being ordered to stay home because of the COVID-19 outbreak, local school districts are making efforts to ensure those who count on free meals at school still get the food they need.

Governor Mike DeWine announced Thursday that all Ohio schools will be closed for three weeks, starting on Monday. Schools were told they have until the end of the day on Monday to close their doors, but some have already decided to cancel classes now.

“We have the ability to feed multiple, not just kids but also multiple meals. So we will have food available for breakfast as well as lunch,” said John Lacy, executive director of business operations for Warren City Schools.

Lacy said that as the days go on, they will continue to evaluate the needs of each student.

All five of Warren’s schools will serve lunches in their cafeterias from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday until the statewide closing is lifted.

The district is asking for students to go to the school building closest to where they live, regardless of whether they are enrolled there.

Lunch pick-up is also being offered at the following locations from noon to 1 p.m.:

  • Community Garden (former Laird School site) – 565 Laird Ave.
  • Hampshire House – 244 5th St. SW
  • Packard Park – Mahoning Avenue
  • Renaissance Place – 1948 Palmyra Road
  • Warren Family Mission – 155 Tod Ave. NW
  • Warren Heights – 504 Douglas St. NW
  • YMCA-Trumbull Family Fitness – 210 High St.
  • St. Paul Lutheran Church – 2860 East Market St.
  • F.O.C.U.S. Building (former ACOP building) – 2051 Niles Rd. SE
  • Former Emerson School Site – 1619 Drexel Ave NW
  • Former Secrest School Site – 1001 Bennett Ave NW

A Warren City Schools vehicle will be at each site. Call the district’s food service department for any questions at 330-841-2321.

There are other local families besides the ones in Warren that rely on the food provided during school hours.

In some districts, there are even programs that send food home with children for the weekends.

While some area schools are trying to iron out all of the details on how they’re going to feed their kids, Austintown did put a plan in place on Friday. They’re going to have four pick-up locations similar to a drive-thru. Parents can drive up, pick up the food and bring it home to their kids.

“They are entitled to a breakfast and a lunch and there is no limit as far as how many children they have with them. We will provide a meal for each of those students that is there,” said Alexis Weber, food service director for Austintown Schools.

And for those concerned with how they will afford this program…

“It is free to anybody who is willing to come for those meals,” Weber said.

The following local school districts also released their plans for school lunches:

Austintown Schools: Starting Monday, March 23 and continuing for all the following Mondays, the Food Services Department will distribute one full week of meals (five breakfasts and five lunches) per child on Mondays each week.

There will be no distribution Tuesday through Friday, and they will only be distributing meals at Austintown Elementary School.

Meal distributions will be on Mondays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Boardman Schools: Lunch pick-up at the high school from noon to 7 p.m. Mondays.

Brookfield Schools: Lunches will be provided on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. From 11 a.m. to noon, you can drive behind door #8 for a “grab-and-go” lunch. Lunches will also be delivered at four locations: at Addison Field and Brookfield Acres between 11-11:30 a.m., the corner of Syme and Ohio streets and the corner of Standard and Miller streets from 11:30 a.m. – noon.

Campbell City Schools: Free meal packs will be provided to Campbell City School students under the age of 18 on Tuesdays and Fridays, starting on March 17/ These meal packs will be available at four locations throughout the City of Campbell: Christ Community Church, Shiloh Baptist Church, Neighborhood Ministries and Campbell Elementary School, between the hours of 10 to 11:30 a.m.

Columbiana Exempted Village Schools: Starting Monday, March 23, breakfast and lunch will be delivered to all K-12 students at no cost. The district is asking families to fill out a survey each week (by Thursdays at noon for the upcoming week) to collect information regarding delivery. Food will be delivered to the child’s bus stop sometime between 11 a.m. and noon every day. Walkers and open enrollment students will need to pick up food at their school building.

East Palestine Schools: The district will be handing out breakfast and lunch. The distribution will be from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the middle school, Centenary Methodist Church, Unity fire station and Negley Church.

East Liverpool Schools: Grab-and-go breakfast and lunch bags will be provided from March 17 – April 3. They can be picked up at the following locations, from 9:30-11:30 a.m.:

  • East Liverpool Middle School: 320 W. Grant St.
  • Centenary United Methodist Church (fellowship hall entrance): 40 S. Market St.
  • Unity Fire Station: Fire Alley
  • Negley United Methodist Church: 50615 Richardson Ave.

Those who can’t get to the pick-up location can call 330-426-5310 to make arrangements.

Girard Schools: For information on the district’s meal distribution plan, visit www.girardcityschools.org.

Howland Schools: The district will continue its breakfast and lunch program for students who need it during the time school is occurring off-campus. Breakfast or lunch for students can be picked up between 8 a.m. and noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the high school by driving into the “U” at the north end of the building between the music wing and main high school complex.  

Hubbard Schools: The district will be having a drive-thru to distribute non-perishable food items from noon to 3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the back parking lot of the middle school. This service is for any district family that is in need of food during the closure.

Jackson-Milton Schools: If a student is qualified as free or reduced, that student will be delivered breakfast and lunch meals on Monday and Thursday.  Monday’s delivery will provide the student with breakfast and lunch for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Thursday’s delivery will be meals for Thursday and Friday.

This is for students that are free or reduced and live within the district. If a student is free or reduced and lives outside of the Jackson-Milton area, please contact Superintendent Baker to have meals ready for pick-up.  

LaBrae Schools: The district will begin distributing meals for students on Wednesday, March 18. Visit https://labrae.school to submit a request. Parents can choose to have the meals delivered to their child’s bus stop or they can pick it up at the high school entrance between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Liberty Schools: The district will be offering lunches to students from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at Liberty High School. To-go lunches will be free to any student up to age 18. Lunches will be $2 for anyone over the age of 18. 

Meals will be available for pick up at the high school until supplies run out. The lunch program will begin Monday, March, 16. Liberty Schools reserves the right to suspend the program in the event of staff illness or low participation.    

Liberty Schools’ food pantry will be open from noon to 2 p.m. Monday, March 16 at the PK-6 school to any district students who may need food over the extended break.

Lisbon Schools: The Lisbon Exempted Village School District is offering free meals (lunch and next day breakfast) from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for all children 18 years and younger in a pick-up fashion starting Monday, March 16 at the DAHS cafeteria and McKinley Elementary cafeteria. 

Meals will also be transported, starting March 23, to four locations for pickup between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.: Opportunity School, Lisbon Baseball/Softball Complex, Roseland Apartments and the Juvenile Justice Center parking lot on E. Lincoln Way.

Mathews Schools: The district working with Mustangs Care on a plan to get Mathews food to the 60 district students who receive weekly food packages from Mustangs Care. 

Niles Schools: Effective March 19, Niles City Schools will now be providing grab-and-go breakfast and lunch bags and instructional packets by a drive-up method of distribution at the Administration offices, located at 309 North Rhodes Avenue in Niles. Families will see tents set up as they pull into the Administration offices. Everyone should remain in their cars and stay in the drive-thru lane to receive their items. Niles City Schools will continue to provide breakfast and lunch items on Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 9 to 11 a.m. at the Administration offices.

Poland Local Schools: If your student requires and qualifies for nutritional assistance, or if you would like to purchase breakfast and lunch, please call their office at 330-757-7000 and press 5. You can also email Danielle Davis at dedavis@polandschools.org  to place an order.

When you call, please be prepared to provide the name of your child and their lunch number.

Orders can be placed starting immediately up until noon Monday for Tuesday Morning Pickup.

Meals will be packaged for the entire week to minimize multiple trips to the building.  Curbside pickup will occur at 9:30 a.m. at Poland Seminary High School Door D-23 (West Auditorium Doors). 

Springfield Local Schools: The district is coordinating efforts with local churches for food distribution.

Valley Christian School (4401 Southern Blvd.): The school is providing lunch and breakfast from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Youngstown City Schools: The Youngstown City School District will begin bagged breakfast and lunch pick up for scholars on Thursdays and Mondays:

  • St. Anthony, 1155 Turin St., 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
  • Choffin Career and Technical Center, 200 E. Wood St., 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
  • Former Hayes Middle School, 1616 Ford Ave., 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
  • Ursuline High School, 750 Wick Ave., 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
  • Harding Elementary School, 1903 Cordova Ave., 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
  • Wick Park, bus will be on Broadway, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
  • Kirkmere Elementary School, 2851 Kirk Road, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
  • Volney Rogers Elementary School, 2400 S. Schenley Ave., 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
  • Chaney High School, 731 S. Hazelwood Ave., 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
  • Stambaugh Charter Academy, 2420 Donald Ave., 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
  • Wonder Bread parking lot corner of Mahoning and Glacier avenues, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
  • Palms, 301 Steel St., 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
  • McGuffey Elementary School, 310 S. Schenley Ave., 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
  • Summit Academy Elementary School, 144 N. Schenley Ave., 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
  • East High School, 474 Bennington Ave., 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • L.E. Black Funeral Home, 1951 McGuffey Road, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • Youngstown Academy of Excellence, 1408 Rigby St., 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • Martin Luther King Elementary School, 2024 Mariner Ave,m 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • McGuffey Centre, 1649 Jacobs Road, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • Kendis Circle, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • Citi Trends, 2960 McCartney Road, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • Rising Star Baptist Church, 2943 Wardle Ave., 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • Victor and Buckeye streets, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
  • Wilson Elementary School, 2725 Gibson St., 10 a.m. to noon
  • Former Princeton School, Hillman Avenue, 10 a.m. to noon
  • Williamson Elementary School, 58 Williamson Ave., 10 a.m. to noon
  • Horizon Science Academy, 3403 Southern Blvd., 10 a.m. to noon.
  • Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church, 3919 Southern Blvd., 10 a.m. to noon
  • Youngstown Playhouse, 600 Playhouse Lane, off of Glenwood Avenue, 10 a.m. to noon
  • Paul C. Bunn Elementary School, 1825 Sequoya, 10 a.m. to noon
  • Volney field parking lot, off of Glenwood, 10 a.m. to noon
  • Southside Academy, 1400 Oak Hill Ave., 10 a.m. to noon
  • Family Video, 2072 E. Midlothian Blvd., 10 a.m. to noon
  • Former Sheridan School, 3321 Hudson Avenue, 10 a.m. to noon
  • Glenwood Business Center, 2246 Glenwood Ave., 10 a.m. to noon