New law will give more than 80,000 additional kids access to a healthy breakfast at school
DENVER (May 15, 2013)—Gov. John Hickenlooper joined elementary students, school officials and other supporters on May 15 to sign the Breakfast After the Bell Nutrition Program. The new law will require more than 360 Colorado schools to offer breakfast after the first bell to all students, giving more than 80,000 additional children access to a daily breakfast.
In Colorado, one in five children struggle with hunger and, for some, meals served in school may be the only food they regularly eat. The Breakfast After the Bell Nutrition Program addresses child hunger by requiring schools to serve a nutritious breakfast following the first bell, beginning in school year 2014-15, if 80 percent or more of the student body is eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. In the 2015-16 school year, schools with 70 percent or more qualifying students will have to follow suit.
“Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day,” said Rep. Dominick Moreno, a lead bill sponsor. “By enacting this legislation, we can ensure that more Colorado kids will have access to a healthy breakfast so they can start the school day ready to learn.”
At Rose Hill Elementary in Commerce City, where the signing ceremony took place, nearly 90 percent of the student body is eligible for free and reduced-price lunches. Adams County School District 14 (Adams 14) offers each student breakfast in the classroom at their elementary, middle and high schools. When they provided before-the-bell breakfast, the district only had a 30 percent participation rate in their school breakfast program. Now, more than 87 percent of their students district-wide eat breakfast after the bell.
“If students are hungry, they’re not going to be prepared to learn,” said Cindy Veney, the district’s nutrition services manager who led the implementation of breakfast in the classroom district-wide. “There are varying circumstances why some children go without breakfast before school each day, so why not give them all the opportunity to start their day with a healthy meal and be better prepared to learn?”
The legislation, sponsored by Reps. Dominick Moreno of Commerce City and Tony Exum of Colorado Springs, and Sen. Angela Giron, D-Pueblo, is a cost-effective way to address child hunger in Colorado. Because the federal government will reimburse schools for the cost of the program, Breakfast After the Bell could bring an estimated $22.9 million in additional revenue into the state. The legislation also allows schools to choose how they serve breakfast—whether in the classroom, via grab-and-go breakfast carts or through another serving model.
The bill was supported by the Colorado No Kid Hungry campaign, a statewide, public-private initiative of Hunger Free Colorado, Share Our Strength and the Office of Governor John Hickenlooper. Together, the campaign partners are working to ensure that all children have nutritious food at home, at school and in their communities. The campaign’s comprehensive five-year plan details 10 goals to end child hunger by 2015, with one focused on the statewide expansion of school breakfast.
“Many kids arrive at school with rumbling bellies, and those experiencing hunger are more likely to exhibit behavioral, emotional and academic problems,” said Kathy Underhill, executive director for Hunger Free Colorado, one of the campaign’s lead partners. “With Breakfast After the Bell, we’ll set up more Colorado children for success in the classroom and life.”
Other supporters of the bill included the Colorado Health Foundation, Colorado Children’s Campaign, LiveWell Colorado, Padres y Jóvenes Unidos, Colorado Center on Law & Policy, Colorado Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs and Colorado Education Association.
To learn more about Breakfast After the Bell, visit HungerFreeColorado.org.
Media Contact: Michelle Ray, Director of Communications, (720) 432-0255