Free breakfast 1st step to eliminating learning barriers, Jara says
For Tuesday’s kick-off party for Clark County schools’ new free breakfast program, the district served cinnamon rolls, fruit cups and milk at Hayes Elementary School.
The event was held to highlight the district’s expansion of its free breakfast program to all students through the federal School Breakfast Program, which subsidizes each meal the district serves.
The program will feature a rotating menu of yogurt, muffins, bagels and cereal, as well as egg sandwiches in middle and high schools.
It’s a way to combat hunger as a barrier to learning, according to Superintendent Jesus Jara.
“As an organization, we want to eliminate barriers to learning,” Jara said. “… This was the first step.”
1 of few urban districts not in federal program
Jara added that the district discovered it was one of the few large urban school districts that wasn’t participating in the federal breakfast program, and made it a priority to join.
New York City, for example, offers free breakfast, lunch and an after-school snack to all public school students.
At elementary schools in Clark County that weren’t participating in the federal breakfast program, breakfast previously cost students $1.25 a day.
The National School Breakfast program offers tiers of subsidies depending on student financial need, with more money offered for students who qualify for free or reduced-price breakfast, as well as for districts with severe need overall. The standard reimbursement rate for 2019-20 for a student who qualifies for free breakfast is $1.84.
No cost estimates yet
District officials said they do not yet have a cost estimate for meal preparation, but USDA studies put the national average in 2014-15 at $1.15 for food costs and $1.24 for labor costs among other indirect costs, for a total average of $2.72.
Mikie Young, principal at Hayes Elementary in the west valley, said her school has been able to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students for some time now thanks to a grant. Approximately 60-80 kids out of the school’s 550-strong student body participate in the breakfast program every day, she said.
For schools just rolling out the free breakfast program, Young said she’d encourage principals and staff to sit with the students during mealtime to promote a sense of community.
“It’s such a positive experience,” she said. “No kid should have to go hungry.”
High praise
Parent David Pellican, who attended the Hayes breakfast event with his preschool-aged son, had high praise for the program.
“I think it’s awesome,” he said. “I grew up with breakfast every day and I think it’s important.”
Jodie Pellican said that while she typically makes breakfast for their son, the time it takes to do so is likely equal to the time to takes to get to school early.
“It’s a Godsend for parents, because you just need to leave five or 10 minutes earlier and your child can get breakfast,” she said.
Contact Aleksandra Appleton at 702-383-0218 or aappleton@reviewjournal.com. Follow @aleksappleton on Twitter.