The Palo Alto Unified School District has put new measures in place to provide free lunches and flexible learning options to accommodate for students in wake of a recent announcement that schools in the district will close until after spring break.

A set of emails, which can be viewed here, sent to district staff and parents this afternoon announced that new programs will be put in place to provide students with Chromebooks and free lunches, should they need them. The main directives the district set forward in these emails are as follows:

• Beginning on Monday, Flexible Learning Options will become available for students via Schoology. Although not required, these resources are recommended by the district to support students with academics and routine during the closure.
• Students who need to borrow devices to access these resources will be able to receive a device at Palo Alto High School on Monday, sometime between 8 a.m. and 12 p.m., where Chromebooks and chargers will be issued.
• Meals are available for pick-up only starting Monday. They will be available free of charge for all children 18 or younger, and will be distributed drive-thru style; each child is eligible for one meal. Lunches can be picked-up at:
  • Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School– 480 East Meadow Drive, Palo Alto
  • Gunn High School– 780 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto
  • Greene Middle School– 750 N California Avenue, Palo Alto
• Lunch will be available for pickup each weekday of the school closure from 11 am to 1 pm beginning March 16 and ending on April 3.
• The district recommends that students “stay home and minimize social contact as much as possible to keep caregivers and adult family members safe,” as while children are not at high-risk, they can still transmit COVID-19 to those who are.

This new set of directives comes after questions from families regarding how the closures would affect students on free or reduced lunch programs or without access to a device.

The Paly Voice will update this story as more information becomes available.