Charles City School District to offer free lunches though the end of June

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City Community School district will serve lunch until June 30 to all children through the age of 18 in the community without charge. Students are eligible to receive lunch regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability, and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.

Parents are encouraged to accompany younger children. An adult meal may be purchased for $3.95. No food is to be shared or carried out of the building.

Meals will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis, at Washington Elementary School at 1406 North Grand avenue in Charles City. They will be served May 31 through June 30, Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

School districts have provided free breakfasts and lunches to students since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 when the U.S. Department of Agriculture began reimbursing schools and child care centers. Free meals were then extended for the 2021-22 school year, but the federal reimbursement is set to expire at the end of the school fiscal year, on June 30.