Waivers Requested to Increase Safety of Utah School Lunches During Health Emergency

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The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is seeking four waivers from the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to assist local schools and participating child care centers in serving school lunch in the event of school closures should the novel coronavirus spread widely in the state.

If approved, the waivers would:

“We hope we won’t have to use any of these waivers,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson. “But it is our obligation to make sure we can continue to serve our students should there be a coronavirus outbreak that forces school closures in Utah. These tools will give school districts, charter schools, and participating private schools and childcare centers, the flexibility they need.”

USDA welcomes public comment on Utah’s waiver request. Once approved, USBE will advise district and charter schools of the new flexibility.

View the official news release here.