Several schools chosen for Hunger-Free Kids project

BRISTOL, Va. — Students in several local school districts will get help getting healthy food next year through a new program aimed at high-poverty school districts in Virginia.

Bristol Virginia schools and Buchanan and Smyth county schools were among those chosen for the Virginia Hunger-Free Kids Act Demonstration Project, spearheaded by First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe.

The details of the program are still being worked out, local school officials said.

About 75 percent of students at Atkins Elementary School, which is the Smyth County school that will participate, get free or reduced-price lunch, said Superintendent Mike Robinson.

Although Buchanan and Bristol officials weren’t clear which school will be involved, about 64 percent of Bristol children and 69 percent of Buchanan County students get free or reduced-price lunch.

“We have so many of our students who depend on us for nourishment,” Bristol Superintendent Rex Gearheart said. “Having something school-wide increases our ability to feed students and help them. If your mind’s on where your next meal is coming from, it’s not going to be on math.”

Students in selected schools in the divisions will be offered breakfast, lunch and dinner, and packs of non-perishable food to take home on weekends and breaks during the 2015-16 school year. Families in the program will get an extra $60 per month in benefits during the summer, and families of students enrolled in free or reduced lunch will get $60 a month to buy food, according to a statement from Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s office.

And, an adult from each family will be encouraged to participate in a nutrition education program.