In June, Bulloch County Schools will provide free meals to any children ages 18 and younger as part of its annual Summer Meals Program. 

According to a release from the Bulloch County school district, the program is open to all children regardless of income, school enrollment or county residency. The meals are made possible through federal and state school nutrition funding to ensure that all children have access to healthy meals during the summer months when school is out.

For 2025, there are flexible options for families. They may choose to pick up a weekly box of meals or on-site dining.

Weekly meal box pick-up on four Mondays in June

The school district will have four distribution sites for weekly meal box pick up. Using a convenient drive-thru method, families will receive one box per child. Each box includes food supplies for seven days’ worth of breakfasts and lunches. The boxes will also include important information about food safety, food preparation and meal menus. 

Pick-up dates are the first four Mondays in June – June 2, 9, 16 and 23, from 9-11 a.m. or while supplies last. The weekly meal box sites are the following:

• Statesboro High School, located at 10 Coach Lee Hill Boulevard in Statesboro

• Stilson Elementary School, located at 15569 State Route 119 in Brooklet

• Nevils Elementary School, located at 8438 Nevils-Groveland Road in Statesboro

• Portal Middle High School, located at 27245 Highway 80 West in Portal

For these sites, families are encouraged to have their children with them, but if they do not, they should allow enough time to complete a simple state-required household verification form on which they will list each child’s name. 

Dine-in meals on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays – June 3-26

Children may enjoy breakfast and lunch on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays June 3-26 at Sallie Zetterower Elementary School, 1200 Cawana Road. Breakfast will be served from 7:45-8:30 a.m., and lunch noon to 1 p.m. Meals must be eaten on site.

Since children will be present, there are no forms to complete to participate. Children may be accompanied by a parent, family member, caregiver or, for older children, come by themselves.

Children who are enrolled in Bulloch County Schools’ summer learning programs at Sallie Zetterower Elementary will receive free meals, as well.

Summer meal program

According to the release, food insecurity is a concern for children in Bulloch County throughout the year, but especially when schools are closed for the summer. 

• More than 87% of students enrolled in the school district qualify for free and reduced-priced meals. 

• Twelve of the school district's 15 schools qualify for the United States Department of Agriculture's Community Eligibility Provision program, which allows the nation’s highest poverty schools, who have a high percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students at those schools without collecting applications.

• During the 2024-2025 school year, Bulloch County Schools served 380 children who were identified as homeless based on the federal government's McKinney Vento Act definition of lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence.

• In the 2024/2025 school year, 69% of students were identified as economically disadvantaged.