JANUARY 6, 2026 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kevin Christian, APR, CPRC, Director of Public Relations

352.671.7734 w ◊ 352.840.3265 c

[email protected]

MCPS EXPANDING EVENING MEAL

SERVICE TO ADDITIONAL SITE

MARION COUNTY – Marion County Public Schools’ Food and Nutrition Department is expanding its Afterschool Meals Program again, part of the Child Care Food Program.

The department is adding Belleview High School to the participating list, the third school added this school year. Last August, MCPS added Ross Prairie and Winding Oaks Elementary Schools to the list of locations providing nutritious meals to children enrolled in Marion Afterschool Programs. 

Each day, students consume more than 2,300 evening meals district wide – over 40,000 each month -- at no cost regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

Belleview High is the first high school in Marion County joining the program, primarily to benefit students involved in after-school activities who may otherwise not have access to nutritious after-school meals.

This year’s updated participating sites now include:

Individuals with questions about the program may contact the Food and Nutrition Services Department at 352.671.4197.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Program information may be available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities needing alternative methods of communication (such as Braille, large print, audiotape, or American Sign Language) should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form-0508-0002-508-11- 28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to the USDA by:

• Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 1400 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
• Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or 3. E: mail: [email protected].

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