COLUMBIA, S.C. — When schools finally let out for summer vacation, many parents of students who depend on local schools for breakfast and lunch may worry where those meals will now come from.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) federally funds a summer food program for children that is administered through the South Carolina Department of Education to provide meals a no cost to children age 18 and under, as well as individuals with disabilities up to age 21 years.
WLTX reached out to local Midlands school districts for their plans for participation in the program. Below are the responses:
Fairfield County: Meals will be served at no cost Monday through Thursday beginning June 14, 2021, and ending July 29, 2021. We are requesting parents to complete a meal request form located in the Parent Square Portal beginning June 7th, to ensure meal distribution. Service hours for curbside pick-up locations are Breakfast from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.and Lunch from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
The following locations will serve as meal sites this summer:
- Fairfield Middle School. 728 US Highway 321 By-Pass, Winnsboro, SC 29180
- Fairfield Central High School, 836 US Highway 321 By-Pass, Winnsboro, SC 29180
- Fairfield Magnet School for Math and Science (June 22-July 29, 2021), 1647 US Highway 321 By-Pass, Winnsboro, SC 29180
Kershaw County: KCSD is partnering with United Way of Kershaw County to provide meals to the community this summer.
The program starts June 21 and runs through July 30.
Camden High School is our distribution site for daily and weekly meal pick up. Children don't have to be present in the car. Parents are encouraged to sign up for meals through our website www.kcsdschools.net/mealorder and select Camden High as the location.
Sign up for weekly meals begins every Thursday and closes Mondays at 7 PM. This allows us enough time to prepare and pack out a week's worth of meals for each child.
This program is open to any child 18 years of age and younger. They don't have to be students in KCSD they just need to be 18 or younger.
Pick up for weekly meals is Thursdays from 11:30-1:00. The last pick up for meals will be July 22 which will give meals for July 26-30, 2021. We will physically close our buildings on July 22.
Lexington One: Families may pick up seven breakfast and lunch meals each Thursday between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. at one of eight drive-through locations. You can pick up food on June 17 and 24, as well as July 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29.
The pick-up locations include Carolina Springs Middle, Centerville Elementary, Deerfield Elementary, Gilbert High, Midway Elementary, New Providence Elementary, Pelion Elementary and Red Bank Elementary.
The district's Food Service and Nutrition asks participants to complete this online form to ensure enough food is prepared. Beginning June 10, the form opens each Thursday at 1 p.m. and closes each Monday at 6 p.m.
Children do not have to attend Lexington County School District One schools to receive the free food. You must show some form of valid identification for each child such as a school identification card, passport or government-issued identification card. The parent/guardian must also show a form of identification that proves his/her relationship to the child, such as an adoption decree, birth certificate, daycare record or doctor/hospital record.
Parents with questions should email Ashley Summers at asummers@lexington1.net.
Lexington Two: Breakfast and lunch will be provided to all children free of charge. Acceptance and participation requirements for the program and all activities are the same for all regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service. Families are encouraged to pre-register for curbside delivery at paypams.com
The following locations will serve as meal sites this summer:
- Cayce Elementary, 515 Bulldog Boulevard, Cayce, SC 29033. June 21 – August 12, 2021 – Meal Bundle Curbside Pickup on Monday’s and Thursday’s from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Monday’s Meal Bundle will include Breakfast and Lunch for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; Thursday’s Meal Bundle will include Breakfast and Lunch for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
- Riverbank Elementary, 160 Cougar Drive, West Columbia, SC 29169:
June 21 – August 12, 2021 – Meal Bundle Curbside Pickup on Monday’s and Thursday’s from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.; Monday’s Meal Bundle will include Breakfast and Lunch for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; Thursday’s Meal Bundle will include Breakfast and Lunch for Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday - Mount Tabor Lutheran Church, 1000 B. Avenue, West Columbia, SC 29169. June 21 – August 12, 2021 – Meal Bundle Curbside Pickup on Monday’s, Wednesday’s and Thursday’s from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Monday’s Meal Bundle will include Breakfast and Lunch for Monday and Tuesday; Wednesday’s Meal Bundle will include Breakfast and Lunch for Wednesday and Thursday; Thursday’s Meal Bundle will include Breakfast and Lunch for Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Lexington Two school buses will deliver 7 days of meals throughout the Lexington Two community June 21 – August 5, 2021, Monday - Thursday. Please visit www.lex2.org for Meal Delivery Routes and Times.
- Monday – Breakfast and Lunch
- Tuesday – Breakfast and Lunch for Tuesday and Wednesday
- Wednesday – Breakfast and Lunch for Thursday and Friday
- Thursday – Breakfast and Lunch for Friday and Saturday
*Please note that we will observe the 4th of July Holiday on Monday, July 5th. We will move curbside pickup to Tuesday, July 6th.
Lexington Three: Free meal pickups on Wednesdays at Batesburg-Leesville High School starting on June 16th from 9 am until 11 am. Participants will receive 5 days worth of both breakfasts and lunches.
There is no sign-up needed and participants do not have to attend our district. The program is for all children 18 years of age and under.
Lexington Four: Meal pick-up will be Monday through Friday. Breakfast pick-up will be 8-8:30 a.m., lunch 11 a.m.-noon for all children age 18 and younger regardless of enrollment in the district.
- Sandhills Middle School, 582 Meadowfield Rd, Gaston, June 7-July 1
- Swansea High School, 500 E 1st St, Swansea, June 14-July 29
Lexington/Richland School District 5: School District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties is participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for the 2021-2022 school year. Section 104(a) of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 amended section 11(a)(1) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act (42 U.S.C. 1759a(a) (1) (the law) to provide an alternative to household applications for free and reduced-price meals in local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with increased levels of low-income students. This alternative is referred to as the Community Eligibility Provision. All students enrolled in the schools listed below may participate in the breakfast and lunch program at no charge to them. Families will not have to fill out meal applications.
Participating CEP schools are as follows: Harbison West Elementary, Irmo High, Irmo Middle, Leaphart Elementary, Nursery Road Elementary, and Seven Oaks Elementary.
Breakfast and lunch meals follow the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines for healthy school meals. Please encourage students to participate in the school meal programs.
You may contact Todd A. Bedenbaugh, Executive Director of Operations at 476-8154 for additional information.
Parents or guardians that do not want their child/children to participate in CEP may wish to discuss this matter with Todd A. Bedenbaugh on an informal basis.
Parents wishing to make a formal appeal may make a request either orally or in writing to Student Nutrition whose address is: 1020 Dutch Fork Road, Irmo, SC 29063 for a hearing to appeal the decision.
Orangeburg School District: confirmed participation, details to follow
Richland One: confirmed participation, details to follow
Richland Two: The district is participating in Seamless Summer beginning Thursday, June 17, this is an extension of the free meals offered by USDA this (2020-2021) school year.
Meals will be available for curbside pick up on Tuesday (2 meals) and Thursday (5 meals) from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. at Polo Road, Bethel-Hanberry, Bridge Creek and North Springs elementary schools and Dent and Longleaf middle schools. Thursday curbside pickup begins June 17; Tuesday curbside pickup begins the following week on June 22. The schedule for the week of July 4, when most schools will be closed, is TBA.
No sign up required. As has been the practice all school year, parents can pick up meals without their children present.
Sumter County: is finalizing plans
