To continue a summer tradition that has been around for nearly two decades, six Five Star Schools are participating in the Summer Food Service Program for Children and will offer free breakfast and lunch to students this summer.

The program, which began on Tuesday, May 29, will run until Friday, Aug. 3.

Breakfast will be served from 8 to 8:30 a.m., and lunch will be available from 11 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday.

Children from 1 to 18 years old can receive free breakfast and lunch meals at Centennial Elementary, Coronado Hills Elementary, Federal Heights Elementary, Leroy Drive Elementary, Rocky Mountain Elementary, and The Studio Schools.

Chris Sjolin, an Adams School District 12 nutrition, and before-and-after school and summer enrichment program, supervisor, said Leroy Drive Elementary and Rocky Mountain Elementary Schools are new to the program this year.

Adult lunches will also be served for $3. Children must eat at one of the participating school to receive free lunch or breakfast meals, and families do not need to fill out any forms or qualify in any way for the program.

Sjolin said the school district served nearly 40,000 meals during the summer program last year. That number may increase, Sjolin said, after “a really good start” to this year’s program.

She said there is no limit to the number of meals that can be provided by a participating school on any given day during the free-meal period.

“It’s really important to them,” Sjolin said. “We can ensure that the kids in the community receive nutritious meals during the summer. It kind of brings the community together.”

She said the free-meal program also serves as a way to bring the community together, because some play, church and day care groups are accustomed to it being in place during the summer.

Because the program is solely funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, she said, the school district is reimbursed for all costs of providing the meals to children.