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Deming schools move summer meal service from parks to school sites, citing safety and low participation
Summary
Interim Superintendent Roscoe told the school board the district will stop running summer lunch service in parks and instead keep summer meal sites on school property because of safety concerns, low participation and budget limits; the change was made at a 2024 budget meeting and staff said sites are 'open sites' for children 18 and under.
Deming Public Schools Interim Superintendent Roscoe told the board Thursday that the district has stopped operating summer lunch service in public parks and will keep meal service on school property, citing staff safety, low participation and budget constraints.
Roscoe said the park-to-school change was “a district level decision made at my 2024 budget meeting” and described the district’s obligation to operate “open sites,” where anyone 18 and under may receive a federally reimbursed meal if the district is preparing and serving meals at that location.
The change matters because federal summer meal rules, district policy and local public access intersect: Roscoe told the board summer meals must meet federal nutrition guidelines, follow New Mexico environmental food regulations, and be served for 18-and-under children who must remain on site while eating; “no grab and go meals” are allowed under the district’s current approach.
Roscoe said multiple factors led to the decision: continuing low participation, reduced staffing and budget pressure after lower enrollment and COVID-related losses, and safety problems encountered while serving in parks. “My team has dealt with individuals who have threatened them with weapons. They also have been either bitten and or chased by stray dogs,” Roscoe said, adding that staff have experienced yelling, fighting and other threatening behavior while working in park settings.
Board members asked for more detail. Roscoe said participation was low at the school-based sites this year — “an average of 6 kids a day” at the high school — and that Columbus and one of the other planned sites had no regular participation this summer. He also said the district had previously posted a flyer with three sites (RST, Columbus and the high school) but pulled a duplicate flyer the district had released to avoid conflicting information.
Roscoe said the department had planned to continue 4–5 mobile sites around the community as an additional option and that managers posted the final schedule on the DPS website in May. He said the nutrition staff lack bathroom access and face heat and safety hazards in park settings, and that moving sites to school property reduces those risks.
Board members thanked Roscoe and asked staff to keep the board and community informed of operational details. No formal action or vote was taken; the presentation was received and the board moved on to other agenda items.
