Baker School District 5J brings back summer meals for local children

Baker School District 5J brought back summer meals for children 18 and younger, a small district service with outsized importance for families trying to cover grocery costs after school lets out. The program was set to run from June 15 through August 6 on most weekdays, Monday through Thursday, with each pickup providing a sack lunch plus breakfast for the next day.

Meals were distributed at Baker City High School in the bus lane off E Street. Families did not need to register in advance; they could simply arrive during the 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. window on open days. The district said children needed to be present to receive meals when possible, and it would not sell adult meals this year.

The setup was aimed squarely at kids, not as a general food giveaway. Oregon’s Department of Education says summer meal programs are designed to fill the nutrition gap when school is not in session, and the state says children and teens ages 1 through 18 are eligible for meals at no charge. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says approved sites serve free meals and snacks to children 18 and younger. For Baker County families, that matters because one missed month of school breakfast and lunch can quickly become a higher grocery bill at home.

The local need is easier to see in the numbers. Baker County’s estimated population was 16,658 in July 2025, and 19.4% of residents were under age 18. Baker School District 5J served 4,829 students in the 2023-24 school year, a reminder of how many households depend on the district’s nutrition programs during the academic year and how quickly those supports disappear once summer begins.

Amanda Dolby, listed by the district as food services supervisor, was the contact for the program. The food-services page lists her phone number as 541-524-2260, extension 1030. Oregon families who need another boost can also look to Summer EBT, known as SUN Bucks, which provides a one-time $120 grocery benefit per eligible school-age child each summer.

In a county where long distances can make even routine errands harder, the choice of Baker City High School, along with both drive-through and walk-up service, made the pickup more accessible for families without easy transportation. The short daily window also suggested a program built to move food efficiently while keeping the focus on the children who rely on it most.