Tuscaloosa City Schools prepare to serve free meals to students all summer long

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ( WIAT ) — The Tuscaloosa City Schools is preparing to provide free breakfast and lunch to students through its annual summer feeding program.

Superintendent Dr. Mike Daria says students under 18 can get free meals at most school locations. A list of exact locations and times will be released at a later date.

“We’ve increased our summer learning program for between three and four thousand students,” Dr. Daria said. “A big part of that summer learning program is making sure our students have meals during that program, so we are excited to offer this program to help give our kids nutritious meals.”

Angela Gober is thrilled that the school system is running the program again. Her son Aiden is a senior at Northside High School, and she says this summer feeding program is invaluable for so many families.

“It’s very important for parents and kids. Most children wouldn’t have food over the summer in some households and low-income households have a harder time even with support.” Gober said. “It’s something the children can count on to have a meal when they’re not in school.

Gober also voiced disappointment that Alabama decided not to administer a federal EBT program for summer meals for kids in 2024. If approved, the program would have sent families $40 a month for each eligible child through EBT grocery money across the state.

However, the EBT program is not the same as the free meals provided through the schools. The Tuscaloosa City Schools will continue the free meals it has provided every summer, including to students who participate in its summer learning program.

The summer feeding program gets underway in June and runs for five weeks.

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