Tower City, PA – Yesterday, Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe distributed meals to students and families in the Williams Valley School District. Thousands of summer meal sites operate across Pennsylvania, making sure students and their families have access to nutritious meals during the summer months when school is not in session – at no cost to families.
“Ensuring learners’ basic needs are met gives them the tools they need to succeed,” said Dr. Rowe. “Schools are pivotal hubs of our communities, and summer food service programs help families to access nutritious meals and resources throughout the summer months.”
The Williams Valley School District operates a rural non-congregate summer meal site where students and their families can pick up breakfast and lunch meals. Last summer, Williams Valley served 5,900 breakfasts and 5,900 lunches to students in the district.
“The Williams Valley School District is grateful for the opportunity to welcome Secretary Rowe and highlight the important work being done through our summer meal distribution and enrichment programs. These efforts reflect our commitment to supporting the whole child by ensuring students have access to nutritious meals, meaningful learning opportunities, and positive connections with caring+ adults throughout the summer months,” said Superintendent Dr. David Hatfield. “We are especially thankful for our dedicated staff, volunteers, community partners, the Williams Valley Viking Education Foundation, SmartPartners, and the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank for helping make these programs possible for our students and families.”
Last summer, more than 5.6 million meals were served at 2,110 summer meal sites. 195 of those sites were rural non-congregate sites, serving communities like the Williams Valley School District
The Shapiro Administration has made it a top priority to ensure Pennsylvania students start the day with a full stomach, ready to learn — over the summer, and during the school year. Governor Shapiro’s 2026-27 budget proposal includes funding for universal free school breakfast for a fourth consecutive year, helping to ensure Pennsylvania’s 1.7 million students continue to receive free breakfast at school, regardless of income. As a result of universal free breakfast, more students are able to start the day with a nutritious, filling breakfast in the morning to kickstart their day and get their minds ready to learn. During the 2024-25 school year, Pennsylvania schools served nearly 93 million breakfasts to students — a 13.8 percent increase over two years.
Under the Governor's leadership, Pennsylvania has increased funding for public education by almost $3 billion in just three years. This includes nearly $2 billion more for Basic Education Funding and dollars driven out to the schools that need them most through the Ready to Learn Block Grant, $190 million more for Special Education, and $52 million more for higher education.
The Governor’s 2026–27 budget proposal builds on these successes by increasing opportunity for students, supporting safe learning environments, and continuing to reform the way school districts pay cyber charter schools. Funding supports after-school programs, full-day pre-K and kindergarten, evidence-based reading instruction, school libraries, social and health services, and professional development for educators. The budget also continues funding universal free breakfast, menstrual hygiene products at no cost to students, school infrastructure repairs, and school safety and mental health supports.