Currently, teachers, administrators and parents are all worried about finishing this school year strong. Classes are almost over and summer is drawing near, but planning and funding is already underway for the next school year now, too.
Last month. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore approved increased funding for the a decades-old program that offers free breakfast to students in schools where 40% or more of the student body is eligible for the federal free lunch program.
The $4.5 million increase will be especially noticeable in Prince George鈥檚 County, where 87 of the 123 schools being added to the program are eligible.
鈥淭his money is going to help children make sure that they鈥檙e able to eat every morning when they go to school,鈥� said Ayesha Holmes, director of . 鈥淲hen they have breakfast, they do better in school. We know that their academic achievement is better. Their behaviors are much more in line with school expectations 鈥� and they鈥檙e ready to learn.鈥�
More than 700 schools in , which offers breakfasts even to the students who wouldn鈥檛 otherwise be eligible based strictly on family income.
鈥淲hat this does is it takes away the stigma, as well,鈥� said Holmes. 鈥淲hether or not the child has free or reduced eligibility, all children in the school are able to eat, which means that the kids eat. With stigma, children are more likely to go without food,鈥� rather than be identified as poor by their peers.
Holmes said in the future, the goal is to expand the program to every school, in a similar way that several school districts operated during the pandemic; but she admitted that鈥檚 just not on the horizon yet.
鈥淲e want every child to succeed, and the core part of that is making sure you have a full belly,鈥� said Holmes.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 focus; you can鈥檛 be expected to make it through the school day if you don鈥檛 have adequate nutrition. And these brains are growing and as they鈥檙e growing, we need to make sure that they鈥檙e nourished.鈥�
