Yankton School District says summer grab‑and‑go program served 80,326 meals; state review passed

Yankton School District 63-3 officials told the school board that the district's summer grab‑and‑go meal program served 80,326 meals this summer and passed the state summer food review.

Laura Abczyk, who presented the update for the district’s child nutrition department, said the program served free grab‑and‑go breakfasts and lunches twice weekly pickup days for the entire summer. “We served 80,326 meals this summer, which was over five and a half times the meals we served the previous summer,” Abczyk said.

Abczyk provided further detail on milk distribution and the program’s local dollar value: “We provided one 8‑ounce serving of milk with each meal, so two 8‑ounce servings of milk each day. This equates to a little over 5,000 gallons of milk… with the average gallon of milk in South Dakota being $4.53, that's $22,000 in milk just alone.” She said the program helped families with grocery costs and drew positive feedback from parents.

The district also hosted supplemental activities during pickup days, including a “bookshelf” in partnership with United Way and a local fire‑safety presentation. District child‑nutrition staff said a state review of the summer food program was completed and the district met the reviewers’ expectations in its first year running the grab‑and‑go model.

Board members thanked nutrition staff and administrators, and no action was required; the program update was informational.