Free breakfasts to be served again at six county schools

Backers say program leads to academic gains for students

Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009

A nutritious meal helps students learn and improve attendance and other behaviors, and for that reason, students at six St. Mary's public schools again this year will receive a free breakfast in their classrooms through a state-funded program.

"The program works very well in our schools. It's very well received," said Mike Jones, supervisor of food nutrition.

The Maryland Meals for Achievement program began in six pilot schools around the state in 1998. It has grown to 196 schools this year, including the six in St. Mary's.

George Washington Carver and Lexington Park elementary schools joined the program in 2002, and were followed by Green Holly Elementary in 2003. Spring Ridge Middle and the alternative learning center, which is now Fairlead Academy, started in 2006 and Park Hall Elementary was added last year.

"In this program, all students receive a free breakfast, each day in their classroom," said Brenda Schwaab, program specialist for Maryland State Department of Education breakfast programs.

The meals are served right at the students' desks while teachers get the morning started by reading announcements or other activities.

At Park Hall teachers read to students in every classroom during the 15 minutes or so that breakfast is served.

Jones said there is a variety of menu items that are geared to be served in the classroom, including an egg and ham sandwich, breakfast pizza, muffin and pancake on a stick, which is a sausage wrapped in a pancake and cooked on a stick similar to a corn dog.

Students can also instead choose among a variety of cereals on any day and receive milk and juice with the meal.

"It's an awesome program," Jones said.

About 66 percent of students in the six schools in St. Mary's take advantage of the free breakfast, on par with other schools in the state.

"This program gives parents a choice," Schwaab said. She said some parents will look at the menu each morning and decide whether to give breakfast at home. Others take advantage of the free meal every school day.

Researchers from Harvard University evaluated the project in its first years, Schwaab said, and found students who participated had better attendance, less tardiness, fewer visits to the school nurse and performed better academically.

Maryland schools with a population 40 percent of students who receive free- or reduced-price meals can apply for the program.

This year the state budget for the program dropped slightly to $2.9 million. Schwaab said there are 684 schools that qualify for the program, but to fund all of them would cost about $15 million.

"It's never enough funding," she said.

In the meantime, though, students at nearly 200 schools across the state can count on a free breakfast every school day.

Food has become a more important part of the school day. Over the last several years a push for more nutritious meals, breakfast at all schools and meals during programs that operate during the summer in schools have all taken hold in St. Mary's County.

Several school cafeterias served meals this summer to certain groups of students, including summer programs for elementary students and during summer school for high school students.

For the first time last year all of the county's public schools offered breakfast for sale to students.

jyeatman@somdnews.com