In the News: ‘Hungry students don’t learn well’

Staffing shortages felt across San Mateo County schools are being felt acutely in the South San Francisco Unified School District where students are going without breakfast services and experiencing longer than usual lunch lines.

 

“It’s true that our district has had to temporarily suspend breakfast service at the middle schools and high schools due to staffing shortages. … We understand that this is an inconvenience for many families and hope to be able to resume breakfast service once staffing levels return to appropriate levels,” district spokesperson Peter Feng said in an email.

 

For years, districts across the county have struggled to find the staff needed both inside and out of the classroom. Each competes within similar employment pools to fill roles from bus drivers to substitute teachers and nutrition staff.

 

But the return to in-person instruction after 18 months of remote learning has proven difficult with districts facing even greater strain to fill critical positions, said Daina Lujan, president of the South San Francisco Unified School District Board of Trustees.

 

State legislative changes and funding to allow all students to receive free meals on campus regardless of family income levels, while a welcomed change, has also increased demand, she said.

 

“Staffing in education, in general, has been hard and that’s across the county,” Lujan said. “This year has been particularly hard because we have students back on campus and thanks to funding we are able to provide lunch to all students, which is great from a funding perspective but that puts an additional need on the system.”

 

Unable to fully staff nutrition service positions, the district decided to temporarily suspend breakfast services for its three middle schools and three high schools. The pause took effect Aug. 18, a week after students returned to campus.

 

Trustee John Baker said an assessment showed the greatest need for breakfast was among younger students, ultimately resulting in the service remaining available at the district’s nine elementary schools.

 

“Hungry students don’t learn well,” Baker said. “It’s a matter of getting resources to those who need it the most, and that’s younger students and Title 1 schools.”

 

A Title 1 school receives federal money to support its low-income students.

 

Sam Avala Gomez, the board’s fall student trustee and Associated Student Body president at South San Francisco High School, raised concerns about the effect of staffing shortages on meal services during a Board of Trustees meeting Thursday, Sept. 23.

 

“We have very long lunch lines and kids are in need of breakfast. They go to school hungry and sometimes kids come late and just want to grab a quick snack before they go into class,” Avala Gomez said.

 

Brenda Gonzalez, also a student at South San Francisco High School, said lunch lines on campuses have also grown so long that many students are unable to finish their meals before returning to class.

 

“Students need access to breakfast and ample time to eat their lunch,” she said.

 

Lujan shared a deep concern for students going without meals in a phone interview and noted staff is undergoing a “Herculean effort” to find employees to fill the roles.

 

“It is extremely important that our students have access to food,” she said. “It is hard for any student to learn and focus when hungry.”

 

During the board meeting, Lujan also identified staff shortages as a concern due to the “wear and tear” it has on existing staff members, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, Ted O, said the shortages are also a budgetary concern.

 

When unable to hire employees directly, the district is forced to contract with temp agencies with rates often three times higher than what the district offers, O said. Today’s even more competitive search for staff has also influenced third-party rates, he added.

 

Feng said the return of breakfast services is contingent on when staffing returns to adequate levels in the district. The district has been advertising the positions in a variety of ways including online and will be holding a virtual community forum on the issue Oct. 21.

 

“It’s disappointing we aren’t able to provide valuable services and I hope we can get it up and running,” Baker said. “We have started to hear from staff and students that this is a priority for them. It’s a priority for the board as well and we’re doing what we can.”

 

 

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