Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold unveiled legislation today that would increase funding for universal school breakfast programs in schools across the nation. The Student Breakfast and Education Improvement Act of 2007 will provide grants, awarded on a competitive basis, to schools with at least 65 percent of students eligible for free and reduced price lunch. The legislation encourages creative breakfast programming including serving breakfast during the school day, incorporating local foods into breakfasts, and providing nutritional education. The Student Breakfast and Education Improvement Act of 2007 is cosponsored by Senators Tester (D-MT), Sanders (I-VT), Kerry (D-MA), Durbin (D-IL), Obama (D-IL), Bingaman (D-NM) and Domenici (R-NM). Congresswoman Moore (D-WI) plans on introducing a similar bill in the House of Representatives in the next few weeks.
“The federal school lunch program helped bridge the learning gap for underprivileged children who had their concentration and motivation undermined by hunger,” Kohl said. “But learning needs to start when the bell rings, and too many mornings are disrupted by a lack of food. We hope that this bill will help make classrooms more productive.”
“No child’s education should be sacrificed because of hunger,” Feingold said. “Studies show, and parents and teachers can attest, that children who eat breakfast participate more in class and are more focused in the classroom.”
“I know firsthand what it’s like to go hungry to school, and let me tell you, it’s nearly impossible to focus in class when all you can think about is food,” Congresswoman Gwen Moore said. “This legislation would help to give our children a much needed breakfast so that they get a healthy start on a full and enriching school day.”
Jon Janowski, Director of Advocacy of the Hunger Task Force, said “We applaud Senator Kohl, Senator Feingold, and Congresswoman Moore for introducing this important bill aimed at increasing school breakfast participation in Wisconsin. Ranking last in school breakfast participation is something that the Dairy State should strive to change. Hunger Task Force is committed to continuing our work with Senators Kohl, Feingold and Representative Moore to ensure that this bill passes.”
In March, 2000, Kohl held a Congressional hearing in Green Bay to examine persistent childhood hunger issues. Later that year, he established a project in Wisconsin to provide funding for schools to help off-set the costs associated with starting the federal school breakfast program. Kohl has also increased funding for nutrition programs as chairman of the Senate’s Agriculture Appropriations panel.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), school breakfast programs can have a tremendous impact on student academic performance and improve the classroom environment by reducing tardiness and improving student attentiveness. Yet, the FNS reveals only 7.5 million students nationally participated in the Free and Reduced Price Breakfast program in 2006 compared with nearly 30 million who participated in the Free and Reduced Price Lunch Program the same year. Kohl, Feingold and Moore’s legislation provides resources for local schools to address this disparity and overcome the specific barriers they face in a way that is flexible yet emphasizes proven methods to increase breakfast participation.
Qualifying schools could use the Student Breakfast and Education Improvement Act of 2007 grant money for a number of uses, including:
- Establish, promote, or expand a universal school breakfast program
- Provide breakfast during the school day
- Increase the quantity of local or fresh food available
- Provide nutritional education materials to students
- Incorporate farming in school lessons or field trips
The Student Breakfast and Education Improvement Act of 2007 is supported by the Hunger Task Force, Community Food Security Coalition, the School Social Work Association of America, and the Wisconsin School Social Workers Association.
