(P24-045-23) Challenges and Innovations in School Feeding Programs During COVID-19 in a Disaggregated Charter School System, New Orleans, Louisiana

Objectives: As COVID-19 school closures disrupted education and access to nutritious food for many school-aged children, this study aimed to identify challenges and innovations in continuation of school feeding programs in a disaggregated charter school system.

Methods: In this qualitative research, semi-structured, key informant interviews were conducted with purposively selected school leaders and school food stakeholders involved in school feeding programs in Orleans Parish, Louisiana. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded using thematic analysis to identify emerging patterns.

Results: Nine participants were interviewed and described barriers/challenges and innovations around six emergent themes: food service, procurement and costs, staffing, communication and outreach, collaborations and partnerships, and policy. They noted struggles with meal service logistics and delivery, procuring food and necessary supplies, staffing shortages, timely communication, a lack of a city-wide coordinated response, and the need to rapidly shift operations due to an evolving pandemic and changing policies. Citywide coordination, school network collaboration, leveraging resources, consistent communication, and USDA waivers were recognized as key for improving food access and student reach. Some innovations to ensure continuation of services included door-to-door food delivery led by local delivery companies, rideshare free code distributions for meal pick up, interactive feeding site maps, and collaborations with non-traditional partners.

Conclusions: This study’s findings increase understanding of the challenges faced and innovations implemented to continue school meal programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The disaggregated nature of the New Orleans’ charter school system created complexity in citywide coordination but also allowed for each school network to be innovative in their response. The study has critical public health implications for children's food security, and the results have been compiled in efforts to inform schools, food service management companies, and relevant City agencies for future crises response measures.

Funding Sources: WK Kellogg Foundation and NIH BUILD program