Commentary: Elementary schools that feed students breakfast will have more local control over where and when the breakfast will be served to hungry students if Senator Gay Kernan’s bill becomes law. The bill passed both the Senate and House and is on its way to the Governor’s Office for action.
Currently, schools that participate in the “Breakfast After the Bell Program” are required to supply breakfast to students after the start of the instructional day in the classroom.
That inflexibility has caused disruptions in the classroom. Senator Kernan said she had worked for the past several years on a compromise that would address the local school districts’ concerns. That compromise bill passed the SenateSaturday 40-1. It moves to the House for debate and passage.
“The bill clarifies there is flexibility for local school districts to design their Breakfast Program,” Senator Kernan said. “I support feeding students because children are more responsive to learning when they are not hungry. If they are not fed at home, the school breakfast program provides the nutrition they need to learn. I want to make sure that the program does not interrupt the instructional school day for all of the students and for the teachers. Local school districts know best how the breakfast program can work in their schools.”
Senator Kernan’s bill would allow local school districts the option to serve students breakfast before the instructional day starts, before the school bell rings. Public and Charter schools may serve breakfast before the beginning of the instructional day in the location of its choice, including the cafeteria, classroom, on the bus or by providing a hand-carried breakfast.
Fifty schools in New Mexico have dropped the breakfast program because of the rigidity of administering it.
The Federal government pays more than $2 million dollars a year for breakfast programs at elementary schools in New Mexico that quality because their students come from low-income families. Schools qualify for the federal funding if it has been determined that 85% or more of their students qualify for the free or reduced lunch program.
While there would be more flexibility in the program, the name was kept as “Breakfast After the Bell” program.