School officials say a new law implemented this year that requires Aurora Public Schools to provide free breakfast to all students at schools where 80 percent or more of the students are eligible for a free or reduced price lunch, is working. The new law is known as “Breakfast After the Bell.”
“It increased our breakfast program. We have a lot more kids eating breakfast. It’s just fabulous,” said Connie Fenton, a nutrition services assistant director with APS at a town hall meeting August 21.
She said APS implemented the new program—where schools can now choose how to provide the breakfast, whether it’s during a brief recess or in class—at 26 different APS sites. She said the program has increased the number of overall breakfasts being served daily at Aurora Public Schools by about 7,000.
“It is a lot more work, and we’re looking for employees if you know anybody,” she said.
Rep. John Buckner, D-Aurora, said the law was passed to remove the stigma for students who qualify for free or reduced price meal programs.
“The participation rate in before-school breakfast programs was dramatically below the eligibility rate,” he explained. Buckner was a principal at Overland High School before becoming a state legislator.
The bill, which was signed into law in 2013, is a change from traditional breakfast programs that provide breakfast to students before the tardy bell. “Over the years, studies have indicated a dramatic increase in participation rates when you have it after the bell,” Buckner said.
In the fall of 2015 as part of the new law, APS will expand the program to 10 more school sites where 70 percent or more of students qualify for a free or reduced price lunch.
Fenton said that free and reduced lunch programs are offered at all 56 Aurora Public Schools. “We do 23,000 lunches and 16,000 breakfasts a day,” she said.
When asked how the schools were dealing with serving more breakfasts, she explained, “I’m going to need a new warehouse really soon. With 16,000 boxes of cereal and fruit cups, it takes a lot of space.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
In other news taxes are sky-rocketing….
I have nothing against this program, I do however want to know more about the costs, the budgeting, and whether or not Michelle O has her nosey little fingers in it. Can anybody give me some resources?
School breakfast is paid for the same way as school lunch. Most from the USDA and some from families.
I asked for RESOURSES, and I already know our tax dollars are part of it.
I seem to recall someone in the past year saying we needed a BILLION dollars more for education funding! Who was that….Hickenbopper maybe? Our state legislators? So, what’s the increased cost since we can’t have anyone being “stigmatized”!