Florida lunch bus program expands for summer feeding

June 17—More than 600 of these meals were served last year on the Gulfside Lunch Bus, which is managed by Pasco Schools, in Holiday Fla. The bus offers free food to any child 18 and under with no preregistration or paperwork required. The bus itself is a modified district school bus that comes complete with cafe-style tables.

"With 85 percent of our students qualified for free and reduced lunches, we want to make sure that these kids get fed when they're not in school," said Chris Clayton, principal of Gulfside Elementary School. "Every little bit helps."

Originally intended as a convenient extension of the Gulfside summer feeding program, in which kids eat complimentary lunches and breakfasts in the school cafeteria, the lunch bus program boasts several new components this year including two additional buses serving around the area.