Paula Sellers, who presented the district's student services food-truck project, told the Anderson County Board of Education the district received a $194,000 grant — pursued in partnership with Henderson County government and at the request of Mayor Frank — to fund a mobile meal program aimed at areas the district considers lowest-served.

Sellers said the district accepted a bid from JP Food Trucks of New York City after reviewing proposals and selecting the vendor for "best value, warranty and the quality of the food truck." She said the truck will prioritize Norwood, Lake City and Bryceville before offering flexible use across the district, and will operate during summer, fall and spring breaks and on weather days to provide hot, high-nutrition meals to students and families.

"We've kinda been working on this food truck project for about a year and a half now," Sellers said, adding she hoped the truck would be ready before the next school year but noted a 12'16 week lead time for construction. She described planned features including a full-size refrigerator, serving panel, retractable awnings and exterior LED lighting, and said the vehicle will be wrapped to advertise Anderson County Schools and Anderson County Government.

Sellers described partnerships to sustain the program, telling board members that Family Resource Center director Jennifer Goins has solicited donated food and is coordinating freezer and storage space so the truck can serve fresh meat, dairy and vegetables. She also said the program will require recipients to complete a brief survey when served for grant reporting purposes.

Board members asked about hours and routes. Sellers said the grant requires the district to serve its lowest-served communities first and that the program will begin as a pilot focused on targeted neighborhoods, then expand districtwide. On logistics she said staffing, insurance and volunteer drivers remain to be finalized.

A board member noted the loss of a federal summer program this year: "I've seen that there were over 7,000 students that would have been eligible in Anderson County," the member said, referencing the governor's decision not to apply for a federal summer feeding card program. Sellers said the truck will be an additional resource to help families facing higher food prices.

The board did not take a formal vote on the presentation; the item was presented for information and planning. Sellers said she will return with implementation details, schedules and community outreach plans as the truck nears delivery.