BIG TIMBER — Sweet Grass County High School is back in session Wednesday, but this school year will look different from those in the past. For an undetermined time, high schoolers are responsible for providing their own breakfast and lunch, until a new kitchen staff is hired.
It was a shocking note to the community, when Sweet Grass High School told parents Monday morning that students would not get breakfast or lunch at school this year.
"It'd be a scary situation, not knowing how to handle it," says Brooke Bare.
Bare is a mom and the manager at Crazy Peak Boutique in Big Timber. When she heard the news, she leaped into action, one meal at a time.
"I know a lot of single moms that could have been affected by not having accounted for the fact that their kid might not get free and reduced lunch at school," she said.
Bare's mom, Susan Metcalf, is the county superintendent of the district.
"Okay, we've got to make sure these kids have food," said Metcalf.
The two decided to use their half boutique, half restaurant, to make hot lunches for the kids. They say parents can either order a lunch, and pick it up before school, or it can be hand-delivered at lunch time. According to Metcalf, the After School Program will be providing lunch this week, which will give them three days to figure out how many kids they need to feed. Metcalf estimates it's about 400.
"For those type of situations, we thought if we could help, at least until they get someone qualified and hired to do this," said Bare.
This is not a new issue. Sweet Grass County High School has been unable to retain a full kitchen staff for the past few years.
"It just got to the point where we only had the one person, our head cook. Fortunately, we were able to finish the school year out," says Dr. Corey Austin, the school's superintendent.
The issue became a crisis when their main cook resigned last Friday, giving the school district less than a week to find a full kitchen staff.
"We've been trying to advertise and reach out to people about our needs. Nobody applied... It's not that we don't have the money for the lunch program. It's that we don't have the personnel for a lunch program," says Austin.
The district is looking to hire three cooks.
For now, the town has really come together to make sure the kids get fed.
"Many businesses and individuals are just stepping up, because it is a really giving community. People really care about the kids," says Metcalf.
To apply for one of the positions, either contact Sweet Grass County High School at (406) 932-5993 or apply on their website.
