Giving Compass' Take:

• The city of Detroit is expanding resources for recreational centers to become meal sites to feed and take care of Detroit students. 

• What other supports can schools provide for students? 

• Read how school districts can prepare for coronavirus.

The city of Detroit, which is experiencing a surge in residents testing positive for the new coronavirus, is expanding the number of recreation centers serving breakfast and lunch to children during the school shutdown.

The expansion will help fill a gap left after the city school district cut back its sites due to health concerns raised by employees.

The city was already providing meals daily at four locations. Two more will now hand out meals on the days the district isn’t distributing meals. All sites will provide Detroit families with meals on Fridays that can last through the weekend.

The free meals are crucial in a city with high child poverty rates, and where many students rely on school for breakfast and lunch. In the Detroit Public Schools Community District alone, 86% of students qualify for subsidized meals. The rates are similar for charter schools in the city.

“We’re going to make sure that our children have breakfasts and lunches everyday throughout the time of this crisis,” Mayor Mike Duggan said during a press conference.

On Monday, the district announced it will cut back its meal sites, from 58 to 17, and distribute meals on Mondays and Thursdays, instead of daily. Though the district reduced the number of days, more food is distributed during the two remaining days that can be spread out for the week, district officials said this week.

Two weeks ago, the city had no coronavirus cases. By Thursday afternoon, the number was 868. There have been 15 deaths in the city. Bridge Magazine reported Wednesday that coronavirus is spreading faster in the city than nearly anywhere else in the United States.

Read the full article about increasing meal sites by Lori Higgins at Chalkbeat.