As the federal government shutdown stretches into its second month, federal workers remain furloughed. Now, SNAP benefits are also likely delayed for November. Two judges on Friday ordered the Trump administration to release emergency funds for SNAP, or food stamps, but it’s unclear if the money will come through.
Given that uncertainty, the Juneau School District is working to make sure students stay fed. Elizabeth Seitz is the district’s food service supervisor. She said the district is reaching out to families to apply for free and reduced-price school meals.
“We want to make sure that the Juneau School District students have nutritious and balanced meals so that they can focus and learn and thrive,” she said.
Qualifying students will be able to receive those benefits for the rest of the school year. Seitz says there are paper applications available at schools. Families can also apply online at School Café, which can be reached on the district’s website.
“Families who have never done an online application, they would just need their student’s ID number to establish an account to set that up,” Seitz said.
Seitz said her office can process applications as soon as they receive them, and qualifying students can receive the benefits as soon as the same day. SNAP recipients also automatically qualify for free and reduced lunch, which Seitz says they will continue to receive regardless of the federal delays to SNAP benefits.
The district will continue to offer universal free breakfast to all students. The Juneau School Board Vice President Elizabeth Siddon brought up offering universal free lunch in November, but the school board tabled that action after the district estimated it would cost more than $200,000.
Individual schools are also stepping up to keep students fed.
On a Thursday evening, families and teachers at Juneau’s Tlingit Culture Language and Literacy program danced and sang to Goosú Wa.é as Naakil.aan Hans Chester, the school’s biliteracy specialist, called out different clan names. When families heard their father’s clan called out, they danced up to a blanket draped over a table and placed cash donations on it.
Chester said a dance group from the Lukaax.ádi Clan used the song in the 1960s as a way to raise money.
“Goosú Wa.é is a Lukaax.ádi song,” he said. “It was brought down to the coast by a man named Aak’é Éesh. He was one of their ancestors, and he would go up into the Interior to trade, and one of the things that he would trade for are songs. And he brought a lot of different songs down to the coast.”
The event was meant to be a family night, but at the last minute, the teachers added a fundraiser to pay for snacks for all students during the school day. Chester said the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska typically pays for snacks.
But the money didn’t come through and the school started pulling funds from its activities budget to pay for snacks. Chester said he feels grateful to families for stepping up and making sure students are fed during the day.
“It’ll help alleviate some of the pressure we as staff feel, because it is just a basic need that we’re trying to meet,” he said.
He said the school approaches life with humor and finds the opportunities to laugh even when things are challenging.
“The strength that we have, that we’re taught and that we foster, I think, really shines in times like this,” he said.
TCLL isn’t the only school stepping up to support students. Deborah Cordero is the community schools coordinator for Kax̲dig̲oowu Héen Elementary. She says the school receives a grant that allows them to provide more resources to families, like getting students clothes or connecting them to food pantries.
“When that comes, like, I’m able to help transport people or take them to food banks and things like that. So as the need arises, we do have some things in place that we can do for families.”
David Villarreal is a counselor at Kax̲dig̲oowu Héen. He says the school is one of several in the district that receive weekend food bags from Gastineau Human Services. Students who are signed up can get bags of food they can eat through the weekend. Families can sign up on the school’s website.
As a counselor, Villarreal said he’s being proactive in reaching out to make sure families are getting the resources they need. But he says it’s not just about making sure children’s physical needs are met.
“I’m kind of, like, expecting, you know, just more emotional strain from students in the coming weeks as this sort of plays out, because we don’t know what’s going to really happen,” he said.
He said he’s keeping his classroom open for students to come in and process their emotions as needed.
Both Kax̲dig̲oowu Héen and Thunder Mountain Middle School are holding food drives beginning on Nov. 3, and counselors at the schools are ready to help students who need it.
Families in need of assistance with free and reduced lunch applications can contact the Food Services office by calling 907-7969-5812 or emailing food.services@juneauschools.org.