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USDA EXTENDS FREE MEALS FOR CHILDREN THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended flexibility in school food service programs through the end of December, which means all school-age students at the eligible schools below will receive free meals (both breakfast and lunch) regardless if they qualify for benefits.

The USDA is federally funding this program, which is an extension of the Summer Feeding Program.  During the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, from March to May, Walton County distributed 236,982 meals to approximately 4,500 children a week during an eight-week period.  Now with the extension of this program, over 80,000 school sites have applied and been accepted, including Walton County.  The USDA hopes this unprecedented move will help ensure no matter what situation, children will have access to nutritious food as the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic as parents may be affected with work interruptions and increased financial hardships.

Participating Schools:

Bay        

Dune Lakes Elementary

Emerald Coast Middle                                   

Freeport Elementary

Freeport High

Freeport Middle              

Maude Saunders Elementary

Mossy Head

Paxton

South Walton High

Van R. Butler Elementary             

Walton Academy

Walton High

WISE/In”10”sity

Walton Middle

West DeFuniak Elementary                                             

Free meals begin for students Monday, September 21, 2020 for both brick and mortar schools and Innovative Learning Digital Academy (ILDA) students. For brick and mortar, students are required to scan lunch cards, or Point of Sale operators must enter student numbers at point of service.  Even though the meals are free, tracking meal service counts will allow us to file for claim reimbursements.  In addition to free breakfast and lunch, schools may still have a la carte items, such as ice cream, for a small fee.  ILDA students must reserve their food online by Friday to secure items for five breakfasts and five lunches per student for the following week.  Reservation forms are found on our district’s ILDA webpage.  ILDA students may have their packaged weekly meals picked up by parents at a school sites. 

It is still EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, and families MUST continue to apply for free or reduced-price meal benefits even though meals are free through December. Because these forms impact educational funding and because the program will end in December, having an application on file for the current school year will help our district and eliminate families’ benefit disruptions in January. If your child has a current positive balance, please know we will hold your balance until January as well.

The Walton County School District (WCSD) is very excited about this opportunity in providing such a great benefit to our children, and we encourage all students to participate!  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your school or the district’s Food Service department at 850.892.1100 ext. 1361.

Weather Update 9/20/20

September 20, 2020

Weather Update 9/20/20

We are excited to return to school tomorrow, Monday September 21.  If you have a storm related issue that causes your absence tomorrow, such as a flooded or washed out road, please send in a written note upon your return and/or contact your school.  Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow. 

Weather Update 9/17/20

Due to localized flooding and current road conditions, all Walton County schools will remain closed through tomorrow, Friday, September 18th.  Closures include both students and employees. Games and other extracurricular activities may be adjusted, rescheduled, or orchestrated by school administrators and coaches based on facilities and families’ abilities to attend.  Based on information from Emergency Management, 87 roads in Walton County are currently closed due to flooding.  Please stay safe!

Freeport High School continues to stay open as a shelter.  Please visit Walton County Emergency Management for more information.  We will continue to monitor conditions with our local experts.  Continue to check our district and schools’ websites and social media platforms for more information. 

Weather Update 9/16/20

Due to localized flooding and current road conditions, all Walton County schools will remain closed through tomorrow, Thursday, September 17th.  Closures include both students and employees.  Based on information from Emergency Management, rain is expected through tomorrow which may cause continued flooding, tropical storm force winds continue through today, and possible tornado threats may continue as well.  Please stay safe!

Freeport High School continues to stay open as a shelter.  Please visit Walton County Emergency Management for more information.  We will continue to monitor the weather with our local experts.  Continue to check our district and schools’ websites and social media platforms for more information. 

Weather Update 9/15/20

Hurricane Sally’s track has continued to slow and move to the east. Due to that, all Walton County schools, including extracurricular activities, will remain closed through tomorrow, Wednesday September 16th.  Closures include both students and employees.  Based on information from Emergency Management, tropical storm winds and heavy rain will continue to impact Walton County today and Wednesday with potential of historic levels of flooding. 

Freeport High School is opening as a shelter today at 5:00 p.m.  Please visit Walton County Emergency Management for more information.  We will continue to monitor the weather with our local experts.  Stay safe, and continue to check our district and schools’ websites and social media platforms for more information. 

Weather Update 9/14/20

September 14, 2020

Weather Update 9/14/20

The WCSD is currently monitoring weather forecasts.  More information regarding tomorrow’s plans will be made after a 1:30 pm update by local and state experts.  Please know safety is our number one priority, and we will continue to make the best decisions for our students and employees. 

Weather Update 9/14/20

Due to the track change and slowing of Hurricane Sally, the closure of all Walton County schools, including extracurricular activities, will be extended through tomorrow, Tuesday, September 15th.  Closures include both students and employees.  Based on information from Emergency Management, tropical storm wind speed is a 70% probability for the Walton County area this afternoon into Tuesday as well as a possible threat of tornados through tonight and tomorrow.  The WCSD will continue to monitor the weather with our local experts.  Stay safe and continue to check our district and schools’ websites and social media platforms for more information.   

According to the National Weather Service in Tallahassee and information received from Emergency Management, Walton County is expected to receive wind gusts in excess of 40 mph and heavy rain from Tropical Storm Sally.  Due to that, and in an abundance of caution, we are cancelling all Walton County Schools for tomorrow, Monday, September 14th, as we anticipate unsafe travel conditions, especially for our school buses.  Closures include both students and employees.  As always, safety is our number one priority.  We will continue to monitor the weather, and we encourage you to continue to check back on our district and schools’ websites and social media platforms. 

Re-opening Update for Parents 9/11/20

We have now completed four weeks of school!  This week has been the smoothest yet - with very few COVID-19 cases and/or exposure.  Most of the cases that we have experienced during the first month have been community acquired, or occurred in non-school settings.  For example, a parent testing positive may cause his or her child to miss school due to exposure, or a teacher’s spouse testing positive may cause a teacher to miss work due to exposure.   

We believe school cases are not occurring a this time due to your tremendous support and vigilance regarding the self-monitoring of symptoms and the seriousness of which you are following school procedures and CDC protocols.  We want to thank you for being our partner during these uncharted times!  Thank you for screening your child at home, and thank you for keeping your child home when they are sick.  Screening has made a difference!  Please continue to screen, and if you are in need of a thermometer, please reach out to your school as we do have a limited supply for parents.  We appreciate all of our students and employees who continue to take safety precautions to heart, including social distancing and/or wearing of masks, as we believe it has been key to our success. 

As a reminder, if your child is exposed to a positive case at school, we will continue to work with the Florida Department of Health (DOH), and parents will be notified.  As the Florida Department of Education (DOE) instructs, we will continue to use surgical precision in the tracing of contact, which can include direct contact definitions, seating charts, and a timeline of symptoms.

We are excited to be moving forward, and we are excited to be back in school.  We want to again thank our schools, employees, students, parents, and communities for a strong start!  We cannot praise you enough! Let’s keep up the good work!

Fall sports have begun!  Students are excited about fall activities, and we know this gives them a semblance of normalcy!  To all of our student athletes, coaches, and spectators - please be safe, and thank you for following CDC protocols.  Spectators are encouraged to follow social distancing guidelines, water fountains will be turned off, random temperature checks will occur at all entrances, and all concession workers will be wearing gloves, masks, and/or face shields.  Please be aware that ticket sales are limited due to social distancing, and games may sell out.  Please plan ahead, and contact schools or visit school websites for more information.  Because attendance is limited, if you want to support your school in other ways, please reach out to them as well.

As the weeks continue, please know we will continue to make the necessary adjustments and best decisions for our students.  We want to continue to build upon our success with transparency.  We want our re-opening to be a positive experience for our community.

Superintendent Hughes joined ECTC today to receive a $3,000.00 check from Gulf Power.  This grant is in support of students working toward Electrical Certifications at ECTC.