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School board approves student nutrition plan; district expands summer 'Sun Meals to Go' program
Summary
Trustees approved the 2025–26 Student Nutrition Services budget and accepted an expanded summer meal delivery and pick-up program serving roughly 1,500 students via a noncongregate model.
The Pickens County School District board approved the 2025–26 Student Nutrition Services budget and accepted an expanded summer feeding plan that the presenter said will include a new noncongregate option branded “Sun Meals to Go.”
Miss Jennifer Stevenson, Student Nutrition Services presenter, told the board the budget shows modest revenue growth because the district is entering its third year of participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). She said the district is in a four‑year contract for CEP and it is currently in year three.
Stevenson said the district increased revenue projections slightly due to continued CEP participation and noted larger expenditures for benefits, which the nutrition program is using to assist the general fund. She described reductions to equipment purchases that would be offset by an available fund balance.
On summer feeding, Stevenson said the district will operate three standard on-site congregate meal locations (Liberty Primary, Pickens Elementary and Hagood Elementary) and continue partnerships with camps, sports clubs and churches for distribution. In addition, the district launched a noncongregate, shelf-stable seven-day meal kit program with fresh produce bags called Sun Meals to Go; Stevenson said the hub site will be Dakersfield Elementary and that community partners and select schools will distribute kits at pick-up locations. She said roughly 1,500 students were enrolled to be served by the program as of the afternoon of the meeting and that distribution would occur on Thursdays.
Stevenson outlined how families received information (posters and the district website) and said about 2,300 families received heart-health material in a separate program and over 220 families were trained in hands-only CPR through the Kids Heart Challenge (this was discussed as part of the same recognition segment). For the current school year the nutrition program raised about $18,300 through student fundraising to benefit the American Heart Association; the district also received a lifetime achievement award from the American Heart Association for surpassing $100,000 in donations through the Kids Heart Challenge.
Board members asked whether the CEP participation was permanent; Stevenson said the district is in a four-year contract and that federal rulemaking under consideration could change the percentage thresholds that determine CEP eligibility. She said the district and national school nutrition associations are monitoring potential federal changes and that the district expects its current contract to be honored through the four‑year term. Trustees voted to accept the student nutrition plan as presented.
The board’s approval included the planned benefits and scale adjustments in the nutrition budget and authorization to proceed with the Sun Meals to Go distribution under the program logistics described by Stevenson.
