Trinidad school district offers free summer lunches for kids

Trinidad School District No. 1 began serving free summer lunches at Trinidad Middle School, 614 Park Street, giving families a school-based meal option while classes are out. Children and teens 18 years and younger eat free, adult meals cost $6, and every plate must be eaten on site.

The district’s Food & Health Services Summer Food Program is running Monday through Thursday through Thursday, July 9, a schedule that keeps the service predictable for parents trying to cover lunch between school years. With no to-go meals allowed, the program is built around a simple routine: come to the middle school, eat there, and leave with no paperwork barrier.

That low-barrier design matters in Las Animas County, where summer can widen the gap left when school cafeterias close. The Colorado Department of Education says summer meal sites across Colorado do not require an application or proof of income, and USDA-approved sites serve meals and snacks to kids 18 and younger at no cost. State officials say Colorado sponsors provided about 2 million meals to youth last year, underscoring how widely these programs are used.

Trinidad’s meal service is not a new experiment. A local report in 2024 said the district’s summer lunch program had been feeding area kids and adults for more than 25 years, and another report that year placed lunches at Trinidad Middle School Cafeteria from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday through July 25. The 2026 schedule continues that long-running role, with the district using a central campus that many families already know.

Trinidad School District #1 also participates in the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program and the Summer Food Program, tying the summer lunches to a broader nutrition system that serves students year-round. For families balancing work, transportation and rising grocery costs, the program offers a familiar place to eat and a steady meal through the heart of summer.