HB 2536 addresses the issue of children who come to school hungry. The bill intends to expand the opportunity for students to get a healthy breakfast by requiring schools with large populations of low-income students who are eligible for free and reduced price meals to serve breakfast after the bell, a model that has increased breakfast participation rates in various states across the nation.
Specifically, HB 2536 establishes a three-year, phased-in process for providing breakfast. The bill provides schools with technical assistance through dedicated staff within the office of the superintendent of public instruction to successfully implement the model, as well as assistance through local public-private partnerships between the office of the superintendent of public instruction and nonprofit organizations knowledgeable about hunger and food security issues.
The bill would also require that the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction dedicate staff within the office to help schools to identify funding mechanisms in order to institute universal breakfast and also encourage schools providing breakfast after the bell to use a model that allows breakfast time to be part of instructional time.
Before August 1st, 2014, the office must also develop and distribute procedures and guidelines for the implementation of this measure that are in compliance with the school breakfast and school lunch program.
As amended: Phases in over a four-year period a requirement for schools that enroll 70 percent or more low income students to offer school breakfast after the beginning of the school day, called Breakfast After the Bell (BAB).Requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop policies and provide technical assistance to schools regarding changing their breakfast service model to the BAB, beginning in the 2014-15 school year. Allows time spent during the BAB to count toward minimum instructional hours as long as educational activities are provided concurrently with breakfast.
