Detroit public schools looking to make after-school food access easier for students

TheDetroitPublicSchoolsCommunityDistrictboardisworkingonpolicychangesthatitsaidwouldimprovestudents’accesstomeals.BoardSecretaryIdaSimmonsShort’sproposalreliesontwochangestoMichigan’sAfterschoolSnackProgram.Thechangeswouldallowstudentstogetaneveningmealeveniftheyaren’tinafterschoolcare. TheDetroitSchoolBoardisaskingtheMichiganDepartmentofEducationforwaiverstoenacttheproposedchanges.Butaspokespersonfromthestateeducationdepartmentsaidit’suptothefederalgovernmenttomakedecisionsontherequirementsforthenutritionassistanceprogram. Thestateeducationdepartmentsaidit’saskedtheU.S.DepartmentofAgricultureforawaivertotheregulationthatpreventssnacksfrombeingsenthome,buttheUSDAdeniedtherequest. Thedistrict’sOfficeofSchoolNutritionsaiditwillcontinuetoprovidemealstostudentsinordertocombatfoodinsecurityandalleviatefinancialburden. DetroitSuperintendentNikolaiVittisaidDetroitPublicSchoolswillofferfreebrea