SEATTLE – A new bill in the state legislature could ensure children get the square meal they need every morning by offering it to them in the classroom.
Breakfast After the Bell would require all schools that have 70% enrollment in the federally-funded free-and-reduced lunch program to offer breakfast for school children to start the day.
Breakfast After the Bell is currently offered in the Highline School District as a pilot program. It's funded by United Way of King County.
The program is in its second year and is seeing growing interest from students.
Only about 30% of students at Midway Elementary School were eating breakfast before the program launched. Now 80-90% of students are choosing to eat breakfast in first period.
"This may be their only meal," said Ebony Smith, sixth grade teacher at Midway. "They're making sure they are at school because maybe they didn't eat the night before and this is a really great way to get that nutrition and that food that they might not get at home."
Smith makes up a lesson plan to go along with breakfast. Nutrition requirements are based on USDA school standards and could include foods like apple sauce, fruit, milk, an oatmeal cookie and cereal.
The Highline School District says no learning time is lost with the program and it enhances learning throughout the day.
Rep. Zack Hudgins, D-Tukwila, is sponsoring the bill to expand the Breakfast After the Bell program to include all schools that meet the free-and-reduced meal requirement. If passed, a total of 2,258 schools in the state -- about 20% -- would be required to serve breakfast. The meals would be paid for using state tax dollars.
Some lawmakers have expressed concerns with children overeating if offered a meal at home and extra food in the classroom.
