When students trickle into Justin Barnes’ office on Fridays, they don’t wear the looks of consternation typical of children headed to the principal’s office.

And instead of a lecture or punishment, they receive a welcome gift — enough food to last them through the weekend.

Marion School is one of three Flathead Valley schools participating in the Montana Food Bank Network’s Backpack for Kids Program. The program exists to help kids whose tables might be a little sparse outside the school cafeteria.

“It’s a weekend supply of food for kids who are thought to be maybe not getting enough food,” said Lori Botkin, executive director of the Flathead Food Bank.

Other cities in Montana have had Backpack for Kids Programs in place for a while, but it’s new to the Flathead this year. Thanks to a $50,000 grant from Walmart, the food bank was able to buy food boxes for youths, Botkin said.

“They gave us enough to get started. As long as we keep adding schools every year, then we’ll keep getting money,” she said.

Initially she had hoped to start the program in some of the county’s larger school districts, but Botkin said those schools didn’t seem interested. Then the manager of the Marion Food Bank suggested implementing the program in Hungry Horse and Marion.

“They jumped all over it,” Botkin said.

The program started at the end of October. So far, about 18 children at Canyon Elementary are participating in the program, co-head teacher Nicolette Bales said. About 25 students participate in Marion, Barnes said.

Kila School got started a week later.

Principal Renee Boisseau had heard about the program from a friend in Billings who taught at a school with a high population of students who qualified for free or reduced-price meals. Billings schools have “had a lot of success” with the program, and Boisseau was interested in finding out more.

That’s when she happened to talk with Barnes.

It was the first time she had heard that the program was happening in the Flathead Valley. She spoke with Botkin and Kila School signed up. There are about 14 students participating, Boisseau said.

Children who take part in the Backpack for Kids Program are referred by teachers or administrators who watch for certain criteria.

“It’s a checklist of things: Kids that ask for seconds all the time in the food line, kids who ask teachers for food, kids that come without snack food,” Boisseau said.

There are physical factors that might indicate a child isn’t eating well, including thinness and chronically dry, cracked lips. Teachers also watch for behavior issues, Botkin said.

“In Billings, where [the program] initially started, the principal ... noticed it was always the same group of kids sitting outside the principal’s office waiting to see her,” she said. “They act out on Friday because they know they’re going to go home and be hungry all weekend.”

After those students started taking home food on Fridays, the principal stopped seeing them outside her office for disrupting class, Botkin added.

It’s too soon to tell whether the program will have a similar effect here, Boisseau said. “We will monitor that and see.”

Barnes was hopeful the program could help some of his students, who get into trouble more often as the weekend approaches.

“You can tell, as you get closer to Thursdays and Fridays,” he said. “It’s not their fault. They’re [home] by themselves, and maybe they’re not allowed to use the stove.”

The kids aren’t sent home with gourmet food items, or even enough for what most people would consider three square meals a day. Items that come prepackaged from the Montana Food Bank Network include pop-top cans of chili, cereal, snacks and ultrapasteurized milk, which doesn’t need to be refrigerated.

“It’s all stuff that even a kindergartner can prepare,” Botkin said.

In addition to taking enough to feed themselves, children are allowed to bring home food for siblings who aren’t in school.

“It’s cool because we can send a bag home for a child [who isn’t in school],” Bales said. “We do have kids who don’t get enough to eat.”

It helps families on fixed incomes who might not be used to feeding so many mouths, Boisseau said. Some students in Kila live with their grandparents, who no longer work and might not have money for much extra food, she said.

“This really helps,” she said of the Backpack for Kids Program.

On long weekends, such as the upcoming Thanksgiving weekend, kids will bring home enough food to last until school starts again. They’ll take home two weeks’ worth over Christmas break — which might require a pretty big backpack.

“It’s heavy carrying, but they don’t seem to mind,” Barnes said.

So far, schools haven’t heard any negatives about the program.

“Parents aren’t afraid to take it,” Bales said.

“Nobody objected,” Boisseau said. “Nobody turned it down.” 

And the kids all seem to like it, Barnes said.

“We don’t have to remind anybody” to pick up their food on Friday, he said. “Some ask if they can get it even more often.”

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.