JACKSON — Kids and teens who are 18 years old or younger can participate in Jackson Public Schools' summer feeding program, which begins on Monday, June 4. The district uses federal funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture to pay for lunches served in Jackson at 12 different sites around the city.

On Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., students can go to one of the 12 locations to receive a free lunch from June 4 through July 13. The program is only closed for July 4.

Mary Hill, executive director of food service at JPS, said this is the 27th year in a row that the program has operated in the city. She said the goal is to not stop the stream of meals that students receive at school. The district is 100 percent on free-and-reduced lunch, meaning students eat free at school throughout the school year.

"I've been told that there are students that really rely on the program that we have," Hill told the Jackson Free Press.

No transportation is provided to the 12 sites (listed below), but the only requirement for a student to eat is to be between the ages of 0 and 18 years old. Hill said the district projects it will serve about 4,500 meals a day this summer. She said groups from vacation Bible school or summer enrichment programs often participate. JPS will be reimbursed for every meal they serve.

The summer feeding sites are located at:

-Blackburn Middle School

-Clausell Elementary School

-Galloway Elementary School

-Hardy Middle School

-Key Elementary School

-Lake Elementary School

-Lanier High School

-McWillie Elementary

-North Jackson Elementary School

-Oak Forest Elementary School

-Powell Middle School

-Rowan Middle School

Email reporter Arielle Dreher at [email protected].