Dear CPS Families,

The health and wellbeing of our students and staff is always our top priority. Since the temporary closure of our schools due to COVID-19, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has provided 2.8 million grab-and-go meals to families, and we are committed to continue providing these meals during spring break and until CPS schools reopen. To provide our families with the most consistent services while picking up grab-and-go meals during the closure and to better support school staff, food distribution sites will be changing beginning Monday, April 6.

During the district’s scheduled spring break, which begins Monday, April 6, families may pick up grab-and-go meals at 136 school sites across the city from Monday–Thursday, 9 a.m.–1 p.m. A detailed list of spring break meal sites is available here. Beginning the following week (Monday, April 13), the district will launch a consolidated meal plan under which 276 schools that were most frequented by families will continue to provide free meals, and schools that were less utilized by families will no longer serve as distribution sites. 

By consolidating sites, we will have more staff available to support each school—which will help ensure meal sites do not need to close in the event of staff absences. Lunchroom staff who are not working or assigned to a meal site will continue to be paid and be able to stay home and practice social distancing. Additionally, by reducing the number of meal sites, we will also be able to reduce the number of principals and assistant principals who are overseeing meal distribution each day, which will provide additional time for principals to support remote learning, which launches district-wide on April 13.

For the remainder of this week, CPS families can pick up free grab-and-go meals from 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at any CPS school. For the full list of  meal sites open during spring break and under the consolidated site plan beginning April 13, please visit cps.edu/mealsites or call 773-553-KIDS. Meal sites will not be open on Friday, April 10 to give our staff members off for Good Friday, and we ask families to plan accordingly.

Supporting our families in the midst of this public health emergency is so important to us, and we thank you for your patience and understanding as our plans and resources evolve. Please continue engaging in social distancing as we work to slow the spread of this pandemic.

Sincerely,

Janice K. Jackson, EdD            LaTanya D. McDade
Chief Executive Officer            Chief Education Officer
Chicago Public Schools            Chicago Public Schools