The cafeteria workers knew her only as “grandma.” Every morning, the elderly woman would bring her grandchildren to Key Elementary School off McDowell Road for a free bite to eat.

She wasn’t the only one getting kids out of the house, recalled Latosha Travis, a Jackson Public Schools child nutrition manager working with the district’s summer feeding program who oversaw the cafeteria at Key last year.

“Kids gonna eat you out of house and home during the summer,” Travis said.

Starting this week through June 27, anyone under 18 years old can stop by one of 12 schools in Jackson for a free breakfast from 7 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., regardless of whether or not they attend Jackson Public Schools. Adults can buy a meal for $4.

The district’s federally funded program

See Full Page