MITCHELL — Even though summer is out, there are at least two places in the Mitchell School District where the sounds of back-to-school still hang in the air at least twice a day.
The buzz of conversation and the clanging of cafeteria trays still echoes through the early morning and midday hours at Longfellow Elementary and Mitchell Middle School, where cafeterias are bustling with activity even though there are no teachers or students in the classrooms.
It’s all part of the districtwide Free Summer Meals Program, which, as the name suggests, provides free breakfast and lunch to area youth ages 18 and under during the months when the school year lunch program is suspended for summer vacation.
The location can get busy, and Leanne Carmody, food services director for the Mitchell School District, would like to see it get even busier.
“Some of the kids use it every day, so it’s great because they get to see it every day,” Carmody said recently. “I’m glad they use it, because if they don’t use it, it’s gone.”
The program is based at Longfellow Elementary and Mitchell Middle School, but was previously offered at other school buildings in the district. The number of locations in Mitchell has been scaled back in recent years to allow for greater efficiency and control for local program officials, but dine-in options continue to be offered at two different locations in town.
The program is funded by the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture based on the percentage of local residents who qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches. For example, in a district where 50% of the local population is eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches, all children under the age of 18 can eat school lunches for free, regardless of whether they are in the school district or not. No registration is required to participate in the program.
This percentage is determined based on a variety of factors, including census data. But one of the most important factors is the meal plan application that parents fill out before each school year. Even if a family doesn’t think they qualify for free or reduced meals, the more families who apply and qualify, the more funding the program receives.
Adam Saleh / Mitchell Republic
While the program currently has a high participation rate, Carmody said they are always looking for ways to get more people involved because the more people who participate, the more funding there is for the program, meaning they can serve more people in the community.
“It’s really important that families fill out the meal plan application before school starts or as soon as school starts,” Carmody said. “You never know if you’ll qualify, and the income criteria change every year, so it’s important that families do that, because then you can get a bigger refund.”
If federal income requirements change significantly, many families who were not eligible for free or reduced meals the previous year could be eligible the next year, even if their household income level has not changed.
This means that the more families that apply, the more likely it is that funding for the program will increase.
Strong funding ensures the health of the program, allowing Carmody to maintain a sufficient number of staff to carry out the program’s mission and focus on other challenges within the program, such as keeping up with changing nutritional standards.
“It’s a lot of work,” Carmody said after the lunchtime rush earlier this week.
Experts agree that everyone, especially young people, needs to eat nutritious meals both during term time and over the summer.
According to the Food Research and Action Center, a nonprofit organization that works to improve the nutrition, health and well-being of America’s poor and hungry, programs like Mitchell’s are effective in reducing food insecurity and poverty and providing the nutrients needed for the growth, development, learning and overall health of America’s most vulnerable children and adolescents.
The USDA provides an online map showing program locations across South Dakota, with meals being provided in more than 20 communities across the state.
The number of sites offering free meals has remained relatively stable over the past few years, but 107 sites are open statewide this summer, 11 more than last year, said Shelley Watterson, director of child and nutrition services for the South Dakota Department of Education.
Because the meals are free and open to the public, the state doesn’t keep track of how many young people attend the meals, but about 400,000 meals are served annually through the school feeding program statewide from May through August, she said.
South Dakota Secretary of Education Joe Graves said meals are essential to keeping students healthy while school is out.
“These sites are a fantastic resource for families who rely on the school lunch program during the school year,” Graves said in a statement. “Meals are prepared and served by local residents, helping to keep children healthy over the summer.”
Adam Saleh / Mitchell Republic
“It works perfectly”
Mitchell School District Superintendent Joe Childs said his own family took advantage of the program when their children were young and that it has benefited people from all walks of life in the community.
“This is a very important program and it definitely gives students an opportunity to come in and have a meal during the summer. We have a lot of kids that come to school, some walk, some bike, some get help from daycare or babysitters,” Childs said. “They’re all participating in summer activities and keeping the kids and parents busy. The parents know that their kids can come in, have a good meal, and then head off to their next scheduled activity.”
The program will run from 7:30 to 10 a.m. for breakfast and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for lunch at both locations. Approximately 150 students attend breakfast and up to 500 students attend lunch each day, providing students from kindergarten through 12th grade with a snack between summer activities.
Adults are welcome and can enjoy breakfast for $3 and lunch for $5.
The program has a wide reach. Low-income families who rely on the school lunch program during the school year can provide their children with a nutritious midday meal while their parents are working. Older students can babysit younger children and stop by for lunch on the way to the pool or softball practice in the afternoon.
Adam Saleh / Mitchell Republic
Stopping in for a meal will serve food familiar to anyone who has eaten lunch in the district’s cafeteria during the school year: sweet and sour chicken, chicken nuggets, and mashed potatoes. The salad bar also offers lighter options with fresh vegetables. Cold cartons of milk are also available. The program’s nutritional requirements are standardized to ensure that meals are adequate in sodium, calories, and portion sizes.
Access to healthy food is an obvious benefit and goal of the program, but beyond that, it also becomes a unique summer social experience.
“I know for some kids, that’s important — meeting up with friends, maybe[the babysitter]is babysitting this family today, or someone else might say, ‘I’m babysitting this family, meet me here, and then let’s go to the pool after,'” Carmody said. “They’re too young to be cooking on a stove and mommy and daddy are working.”
Brittney Flood and her children are familiar faces at both breakfast and lunch portions of the summer meal program. She regularly attends both programs with her four children, ages 8, 5, 3 and 1 1/2.
The food is delicious, the prices are reasonable, and it’s a chance to spend time with the kids before they head off to their own summer activities.
“We actually come here every morning for breakfast and lunch, and it’s worked out really well,” said Flood, who also serves as vice president of the Mitchell School Board. “They can have breakfast before summer classes start and then finish up their activities in town. They just come in, the food is ready and the kids love it.”
She said she knows through the program the children are getting nutritious meals and won’t go home hungry.
“It’s nice that there are a lot of healthy options — whole grains. There are a lot of fruit and vegetable options, so kids get to eat a lot of things that they might not normally be exposed to,” Flood says. “It helps broaden their taste buds a little bit.”
In addition to the meals, the visits give her young children a chance to experience school life and get used to being part of society. When they start kindergarten, they’ll know what meals will be served there, making the transition from home to school easier. Even learning how to open a carton of milk is a learning experience, she said.
With four children under the age of 8, Carmody has also saved a lot of time cleaning the kitchen, another benefit of participating in the program that she touts.
Like Carmody, she hopes that more people in the community will take advantage of the program, whose biggest beneficiaries are low-income families who rely on food every day, and support from all quarters will ensure that no one in need is left behind.
Image courtesy of Mitchell School District
Flood said the free summer meals program is essential to the Mitchell community, and steps like filling out the meal plan application go a long way to keeping the program on track. Carmody said parents can expect to see the application later this summer, and copies will be available at Longfellow School and the middle school, as well as other locations around the district.
Flood said she hopes parents will take note of them and fill them out.
“I think the most important thing for all families and communities is to get involved, but it’s especially important for those who really need it, and we need to have this program for them because it might be their only meal of the day,” Flood said. “What I always try to tell my friends and people I speak to in the community is that it’s so important to get involved and support programs like this, because if we don’t, these programs won’t exist.”
The summer meal program will be held at Longfellow Elementary School, located at 110 N. Mentzer St., and Mitchell Middle School, located at 800 W. 10th Ave. At both locations, breakfast hours will be from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., and lunch hours will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This year’s summer program will run from May 21 to Aug. 2.
More information, including menus, can be found on the Mitchell School District website.
