MSAD 6 School Nutrition Director Aaron Miller told the RSU 06/MSAD 06 School Board that the district’s summer meals program ran June 25–Aug. 15, 2025, and delivered 14,520 meals to children 18 and under.

Miller said the program ran for about eight weeks and used a non-congregate (to‑go) model enabled by recent USDA regulation changes and the USDA area‑eligibility mapper to qualify the high school site.

The program resumed this year after a gap of several summers and was federally funded through USDA summer meal reimbursements. Miller said families signed up in advance to preserve program integrity and reduce waste; the district offered pick‑up on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and packed multiple days’ meals at each distribution. "When all was said and done, at the end of the summer, we had put out 14,520 meals," Miller said, adding that the total was evenly split between breakfasts and lunches: 7,260 of each.

Why it matters: summer meal programs provide food security for children when school cafeterias are closed and can reduce nutrition deficits that affect learning. Board members praised the operation and asked about funding stability and ways to expand the program.

Details from the presentation and board discussion

Site and eligibility: Miller said the district used the USDA area‑eligibility mapper, which evaluates census block groups; a site qualifies when 50% or more of children in the mapped block group qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Bonny Eagle High School qualified under that standard; Miller said none of the district’s other schools met the threshold.

Operations and scale: Miller said the program operated 52 "operating days" (the total days covered across meal packs) and held 21 distribution days (pickup days). Each distribution day produced packed meal bundles that staff loaded into coolers and transported for pickup. Miller said an average of about 280 meals were served per operating day and that the work was done with five employees: two full‑time nutrition staff, one part‑time staffer, Miller and a nutrition coordinator, plus occasional volunteer support. A local student volunteer and family assisted for several weeks.

Funding and compliance: Miller said summer meals are funded by the USDA; districts submit monthly claims for reimbursement based on meals served. He also said the state provided promotional toolkits to enroll families in SNAP; children in households receiving SNAP are automatically counted as free lunch for school reporting, which can reduce paperwork and help the district identify need.

Local food reimbursement: In response to board questions, Miller said a separate program for purchasing local foods changed this year. Last school year districts that opted in received $5,000 and were reimbursed at roughly $1 for every $3 spent; the state increased the allotment to $10,000 and raised the reimbursement to about $1 for every $2 spent. Miller said the local‑food funds can be used year‑round, including summer operations.

Continuity and next steps: Miller said a qualifying site typically retains eligibility for five years under current rules, so the district should continue to qualify for multiple summers unless federal or mapping rules change. Board members asked about expanding refrigeration capacity and volunteer outreach to scale the program; Miller said the district is open to ideas and noted lessons learned in the restart year.

Quotes and attribution: "The program ran for about 8 weeks. It started on June 25 and ended on August 15," Miller said. He added: "So it's a it's a federally funded program. So it's a USDA program." Board members thanked Miller for restarting the program and for compiling data for the board packet.

Ending

The board recorded positive feedback and asked staff to consider operational improvements — such as additional cold storage and volunteer recruitment — to expand capacity for future summers. Miller said the district hopes to continue the program while monitoring federal and state rules that affect eligibility and funding.