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Rep. Paul Tonko of New York just introduced H.R. 4325: The Universal Classroom Breakfast Expansion Act. It's a bill that creates a grant program for schools with a high percentage of students from low-income families who want to establish a universal classroom breakfast program. The program would get $50 million total for 2011 and 2012, but each school can only receive as much as $10,000 per year. However, each recipient school would receive money for at least three years. The grant program in this bill would pay for start up and training costs for a universal classroom breakfast program. The money could be used for purchasing equipment, which is something that many schools sorely need.
The idea of such a program is that every child gets a healthy start to their day so they are able to learn, and nobody is left out because their parents forgot to fill out the paperwork or because they feel singled out by taking public assistance in front of their peers. Also, as the breakfasts are served in the classroom after the start of the school day, all kids get to eat. (In a more traditional program, a child would have to arrive early to eat breakfast in the cafeteria - a criteria that may make it difficult or impossible for some kids to get breakfast if they can't get to school early.)
According to Rep. Tonko's press release about the bill (which I've included below in its entirety):
Schools that have implemented universal breakfast programs report improved student achievement, attentiveness, and attendance. Those schools have also reported fewer visits to the nurse and a decrease in disciplinary referrals.
For more information, you can also check out Rep. Tonko's YouTube video about the bill. And, if you'd like to take action, PLEASE call or email your Representative and ask them to co-sponsor this bill.
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