Carbon County School Districts Offer Summer Lunches

MAY 27, 2025 |

Photo – School lunch example – Bigfoot99 file photo

Both Carbon County school districts are offering free summer lunch programs to school-age children.

Cabon County School Districts One and Two will be offering free lunches through the USDA’s SUN program this summer. SUN, which stands for Summer Nutrition, provides meals to children during the summer months when school meals aren’t available.

Carbon County School District Two Head Cook Josalyn Miller explained through the SUN program, the two districts will take turns providing free lunches throughout the summer.

All Carbon County children between the ages of two and 18 are eligible to receive free lunches from either school district.  Miller said School District Two has been participating in the SUN program for three years. Last summer, Miller said District Two provided 30 school-age children, from Hanna and Elk Mountain, with free lunches each day.

Carbon County School District One Food Service Director Tamera Ratcliffe told Bigfoot99 that the Rawlins and Sinclair schools have participated in the USDA’s SUN program for six years, serving roughly 100 local children every day.

Ratcliffe said the USDA dictates the types of meals District One can offer, which must include meat, vegetables, and a dairy product. Through the month of June, District One will provide free lunches at five locations in Rawlins and Sinclair. Meals must be eaten at the site where they are received.

From July until the beginning of the school year, District Two will hand out summer lunches in Saratoga, Hanna, Medicine Bow, and Elk Mountain. Head Cook Josalyn Miller provided the specific locations where children can receive their free meals.

Unlike District One, children who receive free lunches from District Two do not need to eat them on site. Heating instructions will be included with the meals.

Head Cook Miller explained the lunches are exclusively for children. Parents may accompany their kids, but a child can receive a free meal without a parent present.

District One Food Service Director Tamera Ratcliffe said for many children, school lunch is their only meal of the day. The SUN program helps ensure they continue to have access to meals throughout the summer.

The Carbon County School District One free summer lunch program runs through the month of June. From July 1^st through August 14^th, District Two will take over the program. For more information, such as specific dates and times, call your local school district. All children between the ages of two and 18 are welcome to take part in the program, no matter their school district.