3.3.2015 Today, Assemblymembers Rob Bonta (Oakland) and Tony Thurmond (Richmond) introduced AB 1240, Breakfast After the Bell. The bill calls for practical changes that will improve access to school breakfast on thousands of campuses across the state, ensuring that more California kids are prepared to learn, grow, and achieve each school day. AB 1240 takes a bold step to accelerate academic success, revitalize the severely under-utilized school breakfast program, and more effectively manage existing funds.
California Food Policy Advocates (CFPA) is proud to sponsor AB 1240 and are very excited to be working with Assemblymember Bonta and Assemblymember Thurmond to help students in every corner of our state do and be their very best.
A substantial body of scientific research shows that breakfast plays a critical role in students’academic performance, cognitive function, and memory. Eating breakfast improves children’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. School breakfast also helps decrease tardiness, absenteeism, and disruptive behavior.
Unfortunately – an unnecessarily — three out of every four public school students in California miss out on the health and academic benefits of school breakfast. That’s 4.3 million California kids, many of whom come to school hungry and distracted.
Nearly 20 percent of California schools do not serve breakfast at all. Among those that do offer breakfast, the majority only serve it early in the morning before the start of the school day when many children have yet to arrive. As a result, the federal School Breakfast Program (SBP) reaches only half of the students served by the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
AB 1240, Breakfast After the Bell, will increase access to school breakfast through a series of pragmatic changes that align with school and student need, making the most efficient use of existing state and federal funds.
- Schools where 40 to 60 percent of enrolled students are in need (i.e., eligible for free or reduced-price school meals) will offer breakfast as an option to all students.
- Schools where 60 to 80 percent of students are in need will offer breakfast after the start of each school day
- California’s highest need schools, where at least 80 percent of enrolled students are in need, will offer breakfast after the start of the school day and free of charge to all students. For these particularly high-need schools, offering breakfast at no cost to all students is made fiscally feasible by existing federal funds and administrative options.
AB 1240 provides for implementation across a period of three school years starting in 2016-2017.
To learn more, visit CFPA’s AB 1240 page.
Sign-up to receive AB 1240 legislative updates. link
Questions: Contact Tia Shimada at 510.433.1122 ext.109 or tia@cfpa.net
Media: Visit the Breakfast After the Bell press room. link
