RE-1 Valley summer food program begins June 1 at Prairie Park Pavilion

Free summer meals were available for all children 18 and under at Prairie Park Pavilion in Sterling, across from the city swimming pool, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. RE-1 Valley School District started the program June 1, giving parents, guardians and caregivers a dependable noon option as school routines disappeared for the summer.

The one-hour serving window made the site easy to build into a workday, but it also put a premium on timing for families juggling shifts, childcare and travel across Logan County. The pavilion location gave the program a familiar public landmark in town, which matters in a rural district where a short lunch break can be the difference between making it or missing it. Adult meals were not free.

RE-1 Valley’s summer food service fits into Colorado’s broader Summer Food Service Program, which the Colorado Department of Education says provides free breakfast, lunch, snack and or supper to youth 18 and younger all summer long. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says every child aged 18 and under can receive no-cost summer meals, and in some rural communities meals may also be available for pick-up or delivery. Families can also use the USDA Summer Meals Site Finder to locate nearby sites, hours of operation and contact information.

The district’s food-service message comes alongside a larger commitment to school meals. RE-1 Valley says breakfast and lunch will be free to all students in the 2025-2026 school year regardless of household income. That approach is part of a broader student-support strategy in a district that serves Ayres Elementary, Campbell Elementary, Caliche Schools, Sterling Middle School, Sterling High School, RE-1 Valley Preschools and SIX12ONLINE.

The need is real in Logan County. Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap includes the county in its food insecurity data, and the Colorado Health Institute reported statewide food insecurity at 11.2% in 2023. The same report showed higher rates among Hispanic and Latino Coloradans, at 18.2%, compared with 8.8% for non-Hispanic white Coloradans.

District superintendent Dustin Hunt, who says he brings nearly 30 years of education experience, has emphasized student success, collaborative leadership and community engagement. In practice, that means school food service is doing more than feeding students. In a county where summer schedules can strain family budgets and transportation, a stable noon meal site at Prairie Park Pavilion is one more anchor for daily life in Sterling and beyond.