EATING AND DRINKING 

COVID-19 GUIDANCE ​| Last u

​ pdated​ 2/4/2021 

Most Recent Guidance Updates 

● Sharing food is discouraged. Added requirement that any food or drink provided for students or 
employees must be commercially bought and commercially pre-packaged in individual containers 
with separate, disposable utensils for each person. 

Summary of Main Requirements 

❏ All employees and students must be socially distanced at least 6 feet from others when removing 
their face covering to eat or drink. 
❏ Schools must ensure that students have enough space to maintain at least 6 foot social distance 
while eating, even when operating under Plan A, since face coverings will be removed. 
❏ Individuals should not walk or stand within 6 feet of anyone who has their face covering removed.  
❏ All individuals should leave their face coverings on until everyone in their area is seated with food 
packages open and ready to eat. Then everyone should remove their face coverings at the same 
time. Individuals should replace their face coverings as soon as they are done eating. 
❏ Employees should not eat together in the same space, since face coverings will be removed.  

Introduction 
This guidance focuses on health and safety precautions that employees and students must follow when 
eating on WCPSS property.  

All individuals must maintain at least 6 foot social distance while eating, since face coverings will be 
removed. 

Sharing food is discouraged. If food or drink is provided for students or employees, it must be 
commercially bought and commercially pre-packaged in individual containers with separate, disposable 
utensils for each person. 

Employees and students are required to adhere to all other existing health and safety guidelines, 
including F
​ ace Coverings​, Social Distancing (​Elementary​, M
​ iddle​, and ​High​ Schools), H
​ ealthy Hygiene​, and 
Water Fountains​. 

For information about Child Nutrition Services’ (CNS) health and safety precautions related to food 
preparation and delivery, refer to the ​Child Nutrition Services Reopening Plan and Guidance​. 

For information about cleaning and disinfecting areas before or after eating, refer to ​Child Nutrition 
Services Reopening Plan and Guidance​ or ​Cleaning and Disinfecting Guidance​. 

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EATING AND DRINKING 
COVID-19 GUIDANCE ​| Last u
​ pdated​ 2/4/2021 

Water Breaks 
All employees and students must be socially distanced at least 6 feet from others when removing 
their face covering to drink from their water bottle.  

Schools should develop a process or procedure to allow students to request a water break and have 
somewhere to drink their water while maintaining at least 6 feet of social distance.  

An optional example could be for students to keep their water bottle with their belongings but not easily 
accessible at their desk. If the student seating is not socially distanced 6 feet apart, when a student requests a 
water break the teacher could allow the student to take their water bottle to an area of the classroom or a 
designated space in the school that is unoccupied to drink their water. If the student seating in the classroom 
is socially distanced 6 feet apart, the teacher could allow one student at a time to quickly remove their face 
covering to drink from their water bottle and then immediately put back on their face covering. The student 
should not be face-to-face with anyone else while their face covering is removed. 

Students Eating 
All individuals must maintain at least 6 foot social distance while eating, since face coverings will be 
removed. 

In order to facilitate social distancing, each school will choose one of the following options for meal 
service, based on student population, school building layout, equipment availability, available school staff 
support, and bell schedule: 

1. Cafeteria Service - Students come to the cafeteria to get their food 

2. Hallway Service - Staff deliver food to hallway staging areas for pick-up 
3. Classroom Delivery - Staff deliver food to classrooms 

The principal and CNS staff will work together to determine the meal service option that will work best for 
each school. 

Schools must ensure that students have enough space to maintain at least 6 foot social distance while 
eating, since face coverings will be removed. 

Facility Set-Up 
Students Eat in Cafeteria  Students Eat in Classroom 

❏ In most schools, the greatest opportunity for  ❏ Students may eat in their classroom, if it 
at least 6 foot of social distance while eating  allows for at least 6 foot social distancing 
is for students to eat in the cafeteria. This  when face coverings are removed.  

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COVID-19 GUIDANCE ​| Last u
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may require shortening the amount of time 

each class is in the cafeteria and extending 
meal service hours. 

❏ Schools must arrange seating in the cafeteria 

so that students are separated from one 
another by at least 6 feet and having all 
students sit facing the same direction so no 
two people are sitting face to face. Schools 
must clearly mark seats that can and/or 
cannot be used. The print shop has stickers 
available for order, if needed. 

❏ Schools must mark 6 feet of spacing to 

remind students to stay 6 feet apart while 
waiting in lines. 

❏ If there is more than one door to the 

cafeteria, schools must designate 
entrance-only doors and exit-only doors. 

❏ Schools must post directional signage to 

direct traffic flow, in order to reduce the 
likelihood that people meet face to face 
while walking. 

Option: Have half of each classroom eat in the 

cafeteria and the other half eat in the classroom. 
This shouldn't require additional staffing, relying on 
the already assigned staff that typically does 
cafeteria duty to supervise students in the cafeteria 
and the teacher to supervise students in the 
classroom. This should reduce the capacity needed 
by half in both the cafeteria and the classroom, 
which should better accommodate at least 6 feet 
of social distancing while eating.  
 

Procedure for Removing Face Coverings and Eating 

Students Eat in Cafeteria  Students Eat in Classroom 

❏ Before the eating time begins, staff wearing face coverings should assist any students who need 
help opening any food or drink items.  

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COVID-19 GUIDANCE ​| Last u
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❏ Students should leave their face coverings on until everyone in their area is seated with food 
packages open and ready to eat. Then, there should be a signal to notify students they may 
remove their face covering and eat. The signal could be a light that is turned on/off, music or an 
audible alert, a staff member making an announcement, etc.  

❏ When students are done eating, they should immediately put on their face covering. Staff who are 
monitoring meal times should direct students to put on their face covering if they have finished 
eating and drinking. 

❏ The eating time should only be long enough to allow students to consume their food without 
socializing. Once the eating time has ended, there should be another signal to notify students they 
must be wearing their face covering. The signal could be a light that is turned on/off, music or an 
audible alert, a staff member making an announcement, etc. 

❏ Individuals should not be allowed to walk or stand within 6 feet of anyone who has their face 
covering removed. 

❏ School staff should monitor and supervise students to minimize group gatherings and encourage 
social distancing. 

Meal Scheduling 
Students Eat in Cafeteria  Students Eat in Classroom 

❏ In order to rotate all students through the  ❏ If 6 foot social distancing is not possible with 
cafeteria, schools may shorten the amount of  all of the students in the classroom, the school 
time each class is in the cafeteria and extend  could consider a staggered eating schedule. 
the school’s meal service hours. DPI requires  An optional example is to have half of the 
that students are allowed at least 15 minutes  students in the class go outside (or to another 
to eat breakfast and at least 20 minutes to  location) while the remaining students eat in the 
eat lunch.   classroom. After the eating time is over, have 
the two groups switch places, to allow the other 
❏ Meal times should only be long enough to  students the opportunity to eat in the classroom. 
allow all students to get through the line to  This option requires another staff member to 
get their food and then enough time to  supervise students in the second location. 
consume their food without socializing. 
Students may use the remainder of their lunch 
break for socializing while wearing a face 
covering, in their classroom or outdoors 
before or after their scheduled cafeteria time.  

❏ When feasible, cafeteria visits will be limited 

to cohorts or individual classes. 

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COVID-19 GUIDANCE ​| Last u
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Off-Campus Lunch 
Policy governing off-campus lunch: ​Policy 4210, Release of Students from School​. 
  
Plan A  Plan B 

At any point that WCPSS high schools are 

operating under Plan A and all students are  Except as noted below, high schools will not 
reporting to school daily, all schools will utilize  engage in off-campus lunch activities during 
off-campus lunch as they typically would. In this  Quarter 3. Specifically, the following exceptions 
situation, schools would have to follow procedures  apply: 
for students leaving and then returning to campus  ❏ Where off-campus lunch naturally happens 
to ensure that all students have received the daily 
as a part of a students transition from one 
health screening. 
school site to another (ex: dual enrollment, 
etc.), off-campus lunch may continue. 
❏ If a school facility cannot accommodate 
lunch needs and student safety needs with 
the number of students on campus, they 
may with the permission of their area 
superintendent provide opportunities for 
off-campus lunch to seniors.   
❏ WCPSS will work with 1-2 comprehensive 
high schools during Quarter 3 where the 
facility is smaller and there is a higher 
percentage of students participating in Plan 
B to pilot structures for implementing 
health screenings during off-campus lunch 
in an effort to build effective plans that can 
be shared with other schools. Schools can 
only engage in this option after consultation 
with their area superintendent. 

Schools must implement procedures to ensure 

that any student who has left campus and returns 
later has successfully completed the health 
screening for the day. 

Given the constantly changing nature of our 

current school year, a team of principals will meet 

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COVID-19 GUIDANCE ​| Last u
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prior to the start of Quarter 4 to review structures 

around lunch. 

Employees 
All individuals must maintain at least 6 feet of social distance while eating or drinking, since face 
coverings will be removed.  

❏ Individuals should not walk or stand within 6 feet of anyone who has their face covering removed. 

❏ If an employee is eating in an area with students present, they must follow the same protocols 
required for students eating, like facing the same direction, keeping a face covering on until 
everyone is instructed to start eating, replacing the face covering as soon as they are done eating, 
etc. 

❏ Employees, including central services, are encouraged to eat outside, if possible. 

❏ Ideas for duty-free teacher lunch locations: 

❏ Create an outdoor teacher lounge in a courtyard. 
❏ If students are eating in the cafeteria, have teachers eat in their classroom. If students are eating 
in the classroom, have teachers eat in the cafeteria. 
❏ Allow teachers to bring lawn chairs and eat outdoors. 
❏ Allow teachers to eat alone in their vehicle. 

❏ Employees, including central services, should not eat together in the same space, since face 
coverings will be removed. If employees insist on eating together in the same space, they must 
maintain at least 6 foot social distance and all face in the same direction so no two people are sitting 
face to face. 

❏ Employees, including central services, should only eat or drink alone in an enclosed room, outside, or 
in their personal vehicle, always maintaining 6 feet of social distance anytime face coverings are 
removed.  

❏ Employees may only eat or drink in their cubicle if they are alone in an enclosed room. The employee 
should post a sign on the door instructing individuals to knock and wait to be admitted into the room. 
This allows the employee time to put on their face covering before an individual enters the room. 
Employees are not permitted to eat or drink in their cubicle if it’s in a room of 20 or more cubicles, 
since that has an increased possibility of another employee walking into the room while the person 
eating or drinking is not wearing a face covering.  

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EATING AND DRINKING 
COVID-19 GUIDANCE ​| Last u
​ pdated​ 2/4/2021 

 
 
Tracking Updates to Guidelines

Topic  Section  Change  Date 

Sharing food or  Introduction  Sharing food is discouraged. Added  2/4/21 

providing food to  requirement that any food or drink 
students or 
employees 
provided for students or employees must 
be commercially bought and commercially 
pre-packaged in individual containers with 
separate, disposable utensils for each 
person. 

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