![The new mobile feeding bus will start education services immediately and will increase the amount of students receiving free meals in the summer. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]](http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ghows-DA-1f576131-74a6-404d-879b-ed6540e8f31b-7a5c493f.jpeg)
MILTON — Santa Rosa County Schools have a new set of wheels rolling around the district with a mission to feed the hungry minds and bodies of school aged children.
“We are calling it the S'Cool Bus,” said Leslie Bell, director of child nutrition for Santa Rosa County Schools.
The new mobile feeding bus will provide free meals for children under the age of 18 residing in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in the county regardless of school affiliation.
According to Bell the bus will start being used primarily for the district's summer food program. The bus is driven to disadvantaged neighborhoods to feed the children for free.
The addition of the mobile feeding bus will increase the number of students currently fed by the district's summer food program. Bell estimates the number will jump from 800 to 1,200 students fed every day.
“In the meantime, we plan to utilize the bus in many of our community events, to include our Nutrition Education program where we teach nutrition to our elementary students,” Bell said.
The plan is to allow students on the bus to engage in the district's nutrition classes and teach them to create healthy snacks and healthy beverages.
“We just received the bus on Thursday so a set scheduled has yet to be determined,” Bell said. “We currently offer Nutrition Education classes at several Pace and Navarre elementary schools, so we anticipate we will have the bus at any of those locations in the future.”
The used bus was purchased from Student Transportation of America the company contracted to provide school bus services for students of Santa Rosa County.
Funding for the S'Cool Bus was provided from the districts summer food service program profits according to school officials.
Frankenstein Motorsports at 451 S. Old Corry Field Rd., in Pensacola was contracted to renovate the bus. The result is a visually appealing and inviting vehicle with inside seating, tables and a retractable outdoor shade cover.
“The bus includes monitors and a sound system so we can play music, show presentations or videos on the bus while the students are eating,” Bell said.
The mobile feeding bus programs are a popular trend spreading across the country.
The bus has been converted into a rolling restaurant. The colorful graphics on the ceiling of the bus include the Blue Angels.
“The bus is a great opportunity for the community and the children of Santa Rosa County Schools,” Bell said.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: New S'Cool Bus cruising into Santa Rosa County