Superintendent’s Shuffle runs down student meal debt for MCPS
The football field at Gaithersburg High School was packed Saturday morning for the inaugural Superintendent’s Shuffle.
The Montgomery County Public Schools’ 5K, which raced through Bohrer Park before returning to John H. Harvill Stadium, was organized in part with the Dine with Dignity Campaign, with the goal of running down the school system’s $1.2 million in accumulated student meal debt.
“Food insecurity is very real,” said Montgomery County Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Taylor.
“We have more students that access the free lunch program than most people are comfortable admitting. It’s near 40%.”
Taylor added there is also a large percentage of students who “qualify for the program but don’t take advantage of it for various reasons.”
The first person to cross the finish line was Rockville resident and airline pilot David Brosnan.
“It’s a whole family affair,” Brosnan said. I have my two kids running out there with their mom.”
Brosnan, who is a native of New Zealand, told WTOP that his daughter attends school in Montgomery County and he first learned of the run in a school newsletter.
“It’s important to give back,” Brosnan said. “Hopefully we can do a lot more with it and make sure no kid goes hungry in Montgomery County.”
Along with families, students and staff members of MCPS, there were groups of friends running — including Michaela Ezell.
“Back when I was in elementary school and when you didn’t have money on your account, they gave you peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,” Ezell said.
“It was an obvious way to know that, unfortunately, you didn’t have the funds to get a regular lunch. And so, if we can, (we) help make sure a student doesn’t have to experience that.”
Ezell’s husband Thomas Squire is a former MCPS employee.
“I definitely want to make sure that our students have the support, not only in the classroom, but also in the lunchroom, so that they can eat and be productive,” Squire said.
While that was the main reason most people took part in the first ever Superintendent’s Shuffle, Hallie Wells Middle School student Jacob Lebenkoff had another.
“I was grounded,” Lebenkoff said sheepishly.
Even though Lebenkoff was on restriction, he still managed to finish in second place.
“I think it was like 19 minutes 20 seconds,” Lebenkoff said. “This is a good course. I would do it again.”
If you are wondering how the superintendent did in the race that bears his title? He finished at 28 minutes.
“Which is not my best time, but respectable,” Taylor said, laughing. “I hope that lots of people got bragging rights today, beating the Sup at his own shuffle.”
As Taylor looked around at all the people on the football field, and those still finishing the race, he said: “It’s a beautiful thing. I’m so proud of Montgomery County today.”
Money from the 5K is still being collected.