As children leave school for the summer, what they are having for school lunch is not typically a thought in their head. And why should it be? There is no school until the middle of August. However, students ages 18 and younger who find themselves hungry this summer, can indeed head to the school.

The program, Summer Food Service Program, will begin in Kimball on May 31 and end July 1 at the Kimball Jr. Sr. High School lunch room and then switch to Mary Lynch on July 5 till Aug. 12.  No meals will be served on July 4.

The program will be hosted at the high school initially to allow those kids attending summer school easier access to the meal. Summer school is June 6-30 with classes running Monday-Thursday 8-11:30 a.m. Invitations to summer school will be sent out soon.

The switch to Mary Lynch is a strategic one that will allow greater access to program from those kids at Gotte Park and the swimming pool.

Kim Baliman, Food Service Director for Kimball Public schools, says this move to Mary Lynch should make it easier for kids to walk or ride their bikes to the school.

Baliman says this is the first time the Kimball Jr. Sr. High School has qualified to be a sponsoring site of the program. Baliman says the school must meet 50 percent free and reduce lunch numbers to be qualified. That mark was achieved in December.

With the economy being what it is, this is one way we can help to keep kids fed and healthy, Baliman says.

The program will be open to any child, age 18 and younger. By any, Baliman means just that.

This is not limited to our students, she says. If grandparent has visiting grand kids in town, they can bring them here for a meal, Baliman says.

Breakfast will be served from 7:30-8 a.m. and lunch will be from 11:30 - noon.

“We think this is going to be a great program,” Baliman says.

The purpose of the program is to provide a nutritious meal for children while school is not in session. according to the web site www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/summer/, “Hunger is one of the most severe roadblocks to the learning process. Lack of nutrition during the summer months may set up a cycle for poor performance once school begins again. Hunger also may make children more prone to illness and other health issues. The Summer Food Service Program is designed to fill that nutrition gap and make sure children can get the nutritious meals they need.”