District adds Siloam Springs Middle School to summer lunch program
The Siloam Springs School District’s summer meal program is expanding to a new location to make sure kids throughout the city have easy access to lunches.
The program added a new lunch site at the Siloam Springs Middle School this year, for a total of two permanent sites and three mobile sites, according to Jason Carter, director of child nutrition for Siloam Springs Schools. Kids can also get a meal at Allen Elementary School, or pick up a lunch to-go at the gazebo at Spring Valley Apartments, Eliana Chacon Memorial Park, and at the picnic pavilion at Bob Henry Park.
The school offered convenient meal sites for most parts of the city, but there was a gap in the middle school area, Carter said. Opening the Middle School site also allows members of the Boys and Girls Club of Western Benton County’s Siloam Springs unit access to the free meals, he said.
About 185 Boys and Girls Club members walked the short distance to the Middle School for lunch on Monday, according to Stephen Johnston, unit director. In previous years, the club offered members lunch, but could only give them prepared food instead of a hot meal. Partnering with the school district is a much better option, he said.
Potter’s House is also working with the school district to offer students fun and free activities at each of the mobile sites on Thursdays. The activities will be available for 30 minutes before and after the mobile lunch is served at each location.
All kids under the age of 18 can eat free at any of the sites in the summer meal program, whether or not they qualify for free and reduced lunches during the school year or they even attend Siloam Springs Schools. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Allen Elementary School and the Middle School. Mobile meals will be served at the following times and locations:
• 11:15 a.m. by the gazebo at Spring Valley Apartments, located at 751 Arkansas Highway 16.
• 11:45 a.m. at Eliana Chacon Memorial Park, located at 228 E. Lake Francis Drive.
• 12:15 a.m. by the picnic pavilion at Bob Henry Park on Benton Street.
Adults can eat at Allen Elementary School and the Middle School for $3.50. No adult meals are offered at the mobile lunch locations.