Wichita school district will have free summer lunches, but there will be a week break

The Wichita school district will continue its free breakfast and lunch program during the summer, but there will be a week-long break in meals at the end of the month. The district also announced that summer school will be taught through online learning.

Superintendent Alicia Thompson made the announcements in a message to parents on Monday.

“All WPS summer learning opportunities will be online,” Thompson said. “We will be offering several opportunities for graded coursework to fulfill graduation requirements for our high school students. We will also have engaging options for elementary and middle school students, as well as our special education students with extended school year services specified in their IEP plans.”

More information is available at usd259.org/summer.

Thompson said an update on the district’s plans for the next school year will be provided no later than June 30.

The school lunch program will be changed after next week. The district has provided free meals at 18 locations in Wichita and surrounding communities as the coronavirus pandemic has shuttered school buildings. That meal service will end May 20.

Summer breakfast and lunch service will pick up June 1 at nine locations in the community and run through the rest of June. The district said information on operations after June 30 will be provided after the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirms the details.

During June, meals will be distributed between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. Each child can pick up two lunches and two breakfasts on Mondays and three lunches and three breakfasts on Wednesdays. Meals are free to all children between the ages of 1 and 18, but they must be present to get food. There are no eligibility requirements or paperwork.

Meals can be picked up through walk-up or drive-up service at these locations:

• Coleman Middle School, 1544 N. Governeour, Wichita
• Curtis Middle School, 1031 S. Edgemoor, Wichita
• Hamilton Middle School, 1407 S. Broadway, Wichita
• Isely Traditional Magnet Elementary School, 5256 N. Woodlawn, Bel Aire
• Jardine STEM and Career Explorations Academy, 3550 Ross Parkway, Wichita
• Mueller Aerospace and Engineering Discovery Magnet Elementary School, 2500 E. 18th St. N.
• Pleasant Valley Middle School, 2220 W. 29th St. N., Wichita
• Truesdell Middle School, 2464 S. Glenn, Wichita
• Wilbur Middle School, 340 N. Tyler, Wichita

More information on food service is available at usd259.org/menu.

This story was originally published May 11, 2020 at 8:23 PM.