This summer, Marion County Public Schools is once again offering free breakfast and lunch to all students 18 years of age and younger.
Students can simply show up at their closest serving location and enjoy the meals provided by the district’s Summer Food Service Program. The food is provided without any questions asked, and no paperwork is required.
According to MCPS, the meals provided at schools are “generally the most nutritious meals students eat.” In some cases, they are the only meals that the students eat.
This year, MCPS expects to serve around 200,000 meals at 47 locations throughout Ocala and Marion County. The program, which is funded by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, requires the sites to have congregate feeding, meaning the meals must be consumed onsite. The meals are not prepared for takeout.
The feeding program continues through summer school terms, which ends on Thursday, June 29 or Thursday, July 13, depending on location. All locations will also be closed on Monday, July 3 and Tuesday, July 4, with some dates and times varying based on location.
Below is a list of the schools in Marion County that are providing the free meals to local students:
- Anthony Elementary School (9501 NE Jacksonville Road in Anthony).
- Belleview Elementary School (5556 County Highway 484 in Belleview).
- Belleview-Santos Elementary School (9600 U.S.-441 in Belleview).
- Belleview High School (10400 SE 36th Avenue in Belleview).
- Dunnellon Middle School (21005 Chestnut Street in Dunnellon).
- Dunnellon High School (10055 SW 180th Avenue Road in Dunnellon).
- East Marion Elementary School (14550 NE 14th Street Road in Silver Springs).
- Emerald Shores Elementary School (404 Emerald Road in Ocala).
- Forest High School (5000 SE Maricamp Road in Ocala).
- Fort King Middle School (545 NE 17th Avenue in Ocala).
- Fort McCoy School (16160 NE County Road 315 in Fort McCoy).
- Hammett Bowen Jr. Elementary School (4397 SW 95th Street in Ocala).
- Howard Middle School (1655 NW 10th Street in Ocala).
- Lake Weir High School (10351 SE Maricamp Road in Ocala).
- Lake Weir Middle School (10220 SE Sunset Harbor Road in Summerfield).
- Liberty Middle School (4773 SW 95th Street in Ocala).
- Madison Street Academy of Arts (401 NW Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue in Ocala).
- Maplewood Elementary School (4751 SE 24th Street in Ocala).
- Marion Oaks Elementary School (280 Marion Oaks Trail in Ocala).
- North Marion High School (151 W Highway 329 in Citra).
- Ocala Springs Elementary School (5757 NE 40th Avenue Road in Ocala).
- Osceola Middle School (526 SE Tuscawilla Avenue in Ocala).
- Reddick-Collier Elementary School (4595 W Highway 316 in Reddick).
- Romeo Elementary School (19550 SW 36th Street in Dunnellon).
- Saddlewood Elementary School (3700 SW 43rd Court in Ocala).
- Shady Hill Elementary School (5959 S Magnolia Avenue in Ocala).
- Stanton-Weirsdale Elementary School (16705 SE 134th Terrace in Weirsdale).
- Vanguard High School (7 NW 28th Street in Ocala).
- West Port High School (3733 SW 80th Avenue in Ocala).
- Wyomina Park Elementary School (511 NE 12th Avenue in Ocala).
In addition, the following off-site locations are also providing free meals to students:
- Acceleration Academies (1515 E Silver Springs Boulevard #222 in Ocala).
- Blessed Trinity (5 SE 17th Street in Ocala).
- Boys & Girls Club of Marion County (800 SW 12th Avenue in Ocala).
- Boys & Girls Club of Dunnellon (20077 SW 110th Street in Dunnellon).
- Boys & Girls Club of Silver Springs Shores (674 Silver Road in Ocala).
- Central Christian Church (3010 NE 14th Street in Ocala).
- Deer Run Apartments (2804 NE 4th Court in Ocala).
- E.D. Croskey Recreation Center (1510 NW 4th Street in Ocala).
- Hickory Knoll Apartments (507 NE 22nd Avenue in Ocala).
- Howard Academy Community Center (306 NW 7th Avenue in Ocala).
- Mt. Zion Church (623 S Magnolia Avenue in Ocala).
- Ocala Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (7365 SW 38th Street in Ocala).
- Parkside Garden Apartments (621 NW 2nd Street in Ocala).
- Shiloh Seventh-Day Adventist Church (500 SW 17th Avenue in Ocala).
- YMCA (3200 SE 17th Street in Ocala).
For more information, or to view closest locations and serving times, visit the Summer BreakSpot website.