AACPS narrows summer meal sites, adds six rural grab-and-go locations and holds pricing steady

Anne Arundel County Public Schools will operate fewer open summer meal sites in 2025, add six rural grab-and-go locations that let families take meals home, and will not raise student meal prices for the 2025–26 school year, the system’s food services leaders told the Board of Education.

The changes reflect the end of pandemic-era USDA waivers that allowed broad curbside distribution and a shift back to the Summer Food Service Program model, which generally requires meals to be consumed on-site. Jody Ricci, director of Food and Nutrition Services, told the board that MSDE administers the federal program locally and that the district will open 25 closed-enrollment enrichment sites, maintain mobile routes, and add six USDA-designated rural sites where meals may be taken home.

Board members and staff said the adjustments are designed to keep the summer program compliant with federal rules while reaching students in higher-need areas. Ricci described the decision as one based on participation data and regulatory requirements: “All meals must be consumed on-site,” she said when explaining the baseline rule; for the new rural-designated sites she said families will be able to “grab and go.”

Why it matters: The summer meals program feeds children age 2–18 in qualifying areas, and participation changed sharply after pandemic waivers. Ricci said that annual participation rose from about 22,877 meals in 2007 to about 96,000 in 2019, spiked to roughly 324,000 in 2021 under waivers, and then declined after waivers ended. The district’s plan for 2025 includes closed enrichment sites (students enrolled in summer programming) that will provide free breakfast and lunch to enrolled children, mobile meal routes, and six rural sites in South County and other areas that will permit take-home meals and Thursday distributions covering Friday–Sunday.

Details and implementation: Ricci explained the district will determine site locations by free-and-reduced-price eligibility (50% threshold), historical participation, and geographic access. The six rural sites called out in the presentation include Brockbridge (Far West) and five South County locations: Maryland Manor, Boones Mobile Estates, Lions Creek, Lothian Elementary and Tracy’s Elementary. At rural-designated locations, families will be asked to preregister; Ricci said principals and staff have already begun outreach and that registration forms will also be available on-site.

The board also voted on food-service pricing. Joe Lizzie, director of Human Nutrition Services, described the department’s work to control costs while maintaining quality. “It is a little bit of magic, and it's a lot of love,” he said, adding the program has strong contracts and emphasizes Buy American sourcing. The board approved the superintendent’s recommendation for no price increase for the 2025–26 school year; the motion passed unanimously, 7–0.

Concerns and context: Board members raised questions about access for families who cannot come to on-site service, and several members welcomed the rural grab-and-go sites as a “game changer” for South County. Ricci acknowledged staffing challenges and said expansion of local purchasing has been limited by kitchen staffing shortages; she said farmers are willing to supply produce when the department can process larger volumes.

What’s next: The district will implement the site changes after MSDE and USDA approvals and will publish site lists and preregistration information. Ricci said mobile routes and the six rural grab-and-go sites will offer both breakfast and lunch, and that Thursday distributions at rural sites will include meals covering Friday through Sunday so families can receive a full weekend’s meals in a single visit.

Ending: Board members publicly thanked Ricci for more than three decades of service; Ricci is retiring and the board gave extended recognition during the meeting.