Austin Independent School District announced on May 19 that it will offer free summer meals to children at more than 30 school locations. All children aged 18 and under, as well as enrolled students with disabilities up to age 21, are eligible to receive breakfasts and lunches at no cost. The district said that meal service dates and times vary by location, and families can find site-specific information by calling 2-1-1 or visiting the Austin ISD website.
No registration or identification is required for participation, and children do not need to be enrolled in Austin ISD. Meals must be eaten on site during designated service hours in the cafeteria. The district stated, “Just show up during meal service times and enjoy breakfast or lunch in the cafeteria. Meals must be eaten on site.” Austin ISD will not serve meals while district offices and campuses are closed from June 29 through July 3.
The program is a federally funded initiative overseen locally by the Texas Department of Agriculture. According to the announcement, “Austin ISD is proud to partner with TDA to serve meals at schools with summer programming located in areas where more than 50% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch during the school year.” Participating campuses include elementary, middle, high schools, and specialized programs such as Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders.
The Austin Independent School District supports a multicultural environment with over 100 languages spoken by students; it operates 116 diverse school communities including elementary, middle, high school, early college programs, academies, magnet schools, alternative education centers and community schools; maintains a graduation rate of 93.3 percent while exceeding state averages on SAT and ACT scores; educates more than 72,000 students; employs over 5,000 classroom teachers across its campuses; focuses on partnering with families and community members for student success in college or career; provides instruction in more than 100 languages with programs offered in eleven languages other than English—all according to the official website.
All summer meal sites are subject to change based on campus schedules. For further details about participating locations or updates regarding service times throughout the summer months ahead,
families are encouraged to check directly with Austin ISD.
