CCSD offers free meals to students during summer break

FILE - In this Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012 file photo, students are given healthy choices on a lunch line at Draper Middle School in Rotterdam, N.Y. After just one year, some schools across the nation are dropping out of what was touted as a healthier federal lunch program, complaining that so many students refused the meals packed with whole grains, fruits and vegetables that their cafeterias were losing money. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)

By Jannelle Calderón

May 22, 2024

The Clark County School District this week began offering free breakfast and lunch at more than a dozen schools where summer school instruction is now in session, with hundreds more schools set to start offering free meals in the coming weeks.

The free meals, which are available for students under 18 years old, are part of the US Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program and will extend through July 17 at some schools. The full list of schools and service times can be found online at weareccsd.net/summermeals and menus can be found here.

Students must eat the meals on-site. There will be no drive-thru or take-out meal options. Being on campus also allows students to get out of the heat and get water.

Schools will be closed and not offer meals on observed holidays: May 27 (Memorial Day), June 19 (Juneteenth), and July 4 (Independence Day).

As of June 2021, 75% of students in CCSD (about 225,000) qualified for free or reduced-price meals as part of a federal program for students from low-income households.

Last year, CCSD expanded its USDA Community Eligibility Provision program districtwide to offer no-cost meals to all 300,000 students through the 2024-2025 school year.

According to CCSD, the free meals are also available to certain people over 18 years old who are mentally or physically disabled and also participate in a public or private non-profit school program during the regular school year.

Jannelle Calderón

Jannelle Calderón is The Nevadan / El Nevadense newsletter editor. A bilingual storyteller, she’s passionate about highlighting the human side of policy and showcasing Nevada’s vibrant cultures. She previously reported for The Nevada Independent and is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Jannelle also writes Vegas Somos, a weekly Spanish-language newsletter dedicated to breaking down the issues that matter most to Nevada’s Latino communities.

Have a story tip? Reach Jannelle at [email protected]. For local reporting in Nevada that connects the dots, from policy to people, sign up for Janelle's newsletters.

View all posts