05/15/2026
🍎 Free Summer Meals for Kids in Our Community! ☀️
Our district is proud to provide free meals to children and youth this summer through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Here’s what families need to know:
👧🧒 Who Can Eat Meals?
•All kids under 18 years old
•Adults (ages 19–59) accompanying their children (thanks to support from the Black Hills Area Community Foundation)
•Seniors (60+) accompanying their grandchildren (through our partnership with Meals on Wheels of Western South Dakota)
📍 How Are Meal Sites Selected?
Meal sites are chosen based on federal eligibility guidelines and staffing availability. A site must be located in an area where a certain percentage of children qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.
We also prioritize:
•Locations that already have summer programming (like 21st Century Community Learning or summer school)
•Sites with strong, consistent participation in past years
This helps us ensure we’re serving families well and creating dependable summer routines.
🏫 Why You Do Not See a Site in the Valley This Summer
We want to be transparent about changes this year:
•Valley View does not meet the required area eligibility threshold, so it does not qualify as an SFSP site.
•Rapid Valley also does not meet the required area eligibility threshold, but has previously operated under a 5-year eligibility determination that allows continued service even if data changes. This is the final year of that eligibility period, however construction at the school prevents us from operating there this summer.
We remain committed to making sure children in our community have access to nutritious meals all summer long. ❤️
If you have questions about meal sites or eligibility, feel free to reach out to our Student Nutrition team at [email protected] or 605-394-4061.
