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Abstract

Millions of students have engaged in virtual learning since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Spring of 2020. For rural food-insecure students who primarily access federally subsidized breakfast and lunch programs, learning from home means that school districts must strategically meet their needs, be it by food pickup site, food distribution program, or otherwise. Building on McLoughlin, et. al.’s 2020 seminal study, I consider the successes and challenges two rural school districts faced when strategizing to support their food-insecure students during the Spring and Summer of 2020, specifically asking: How have rural school districts affected by COVID-19 strategized to distribute meals to their food insecure students, and to what extent were their strategies effective in promoting equitable food access? Using geospatial and document analysis, as well as surveys and interviews with school staff members, I examine staff perception of their districts’ strategies, the logistics of food access in each district, and the equitability and accessibility of online promotional materials. I find that each school succeeded at: providing families and students participating in the program with a deep sense of community; providing somewhat accessible food pickup and delivery services to families; and utilizing promotional materials to advertise programming, all three of which amplified equity of access. Conversely, the districts faced challenges: navigating geographic span and a lack of transportation to food pickup sites; too short of time windows for easy food access; and a lack of promotion online about external partnerships. Based on my observations, I generate policy recommendations for rural school districts so that they might be better prepared to support food- insecure students the next time they cannot physically be in school.

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