JCSB Feeding Kids Year-Round

By: Shelia Mader

The Jackson County School Board has been proactive for a number of years in providing food for students during the school year, along with a summer feeding program.

This past school year (2025-2026), the Jackson County School District served 350,678 students breakfast, 731,262 students lunch, and 12,975 students were provided supper.

The District knows that many students depend on assistance for meals once school is out for the summer. This summer, they are serving bulk food for seven days, breakfast and lunch. The meals will be distributed at five locations within the county. Early Childhood Center Kitchen (9:30-10:30), Sneads Elementary (11:15-12:15), Assembly of God Church in Cottondale (Wednesday 5:30-6:30), and Malone School (10:30-11:30), Graceville School (at the dock of the kitchen 9:15-10:00). Pickup day for all locations except Cottondale is Thursday.

Sodexo is partnering with local farmers to provide local vegetables and food. They are working to have Jackson County School District buy from local farms. Using credit from Sodexo, Jackson County has to use procurement rules to buy from farms, define a boundary, and micro purchase or informal bids.

Sodexo is working with Produce Companies to pick up items from local farms. The Produce Company would deliver to school sites and Sodexo would pay the Produce Company.

Among the items being discussed for purchase are: squash, cucumbers, honeydew melons, cantaloupe melons, tomatoes, broccoli, watermelon, strawberries, and satsumas.

There are details left to be worked out but the wheels are in motion to offer local, farm-fresh products delivered to Jackson County Schools.