Story URL: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=111787
Story Retrieval Date: 2/9/2010 8:27:17 PM CST
N.Bhatia/MEDILL
Student council members at Talman Elementary School respond enthusiastically Thursday to the question: "Who would like to see [Asst. Principal] Mr. Shoffner cook eggs for everyone's breakfast?"
School breakfast programs in Chicago Public Schools are the least effective of America’s urban school districts, a research study released Thursday said.
An advocate for the programs said this is unacceptable.
“It upsets me that 407,000 Chicago Public School kids are eating lunch and only 80,000 are eating breakfast,” said Illinois Hunger Coalition Executive Director Diane Doherty.
The study, conducted by the Food Research and Action Center, compares the number of students from low- and moderate income families who eat school-provided lunches with those who eat provided breakfasts.
Only 28.7 percent of eligible students in Chicago schools participate in school breakfast programs as opposed to 88.4 percent of students in Newark, N.J., public schools.
In a companion study that looks at state breakfast programs overall, Illinois ranked last; it has consistently been among the bottom-ranked states.
About 24 schools in the Chicago area take advantage of either universal -- free breakfast for all students -- or reduced-price breakfasts.
A typical morning meal includes a granola bar, a fruit cup, milk or juice, and a banana. About once a week students are given a hot breakfast item, such as an egg sandwich.
At Talman Elementary School in Gage Park on the South Side, about 96 percent of the school’s 314 students are eligible for free or reduced-price breakfast programs. However, only 34 percent of those students actually participate in the program, said principal Jacqueline Medina.
Children on the school’s student council cited lack of time in the mornings as the biggest reason for not eating breakfast at school.
“My stomach growls and it’s hard to concentrate when you don’t eat breakfast,” said seventh-grader Stefanie Davila. “It’s hard to find time to eat breakfast because I have basketball practice in the morning.”
Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day but between early-morning activities, lack of parent supervision in the morning and the social stigma associated with coming early to eat breakfast, the program has not been successful.
Still, some students find the program more than beneficial. Jesus Garcia, 14, said he eats something before leaving for school, but also indulges in the school breakfast because he is hungry by the time classes begin.
According to Doherty, if Chicago Public Schools could increase participation in the school breakfast program to 70 percent, they could get an additional $24.6 million of federally-allocated money.
Doherty also added that it was up to Mayor Richard M. Daley to ensure that this money is made full use of, but said that he was unwilling to get involved with a federal program.
Officials at the mayor’s office were unavailable for comment.
N.Bhatia/MEDILL
Talman Elementary School students look over a report describing their participation in the school's breakfast program. The students vowed to help make the program more appealing to their classmates.
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School breakfast programs in Chicago Public Schools are the least effective of America’s urban school districts, a research study released Thursday said.
An advocate for the programs said this is unacceptable.
“It upsets me that 407,000 Chicago Public School kids are eating lunch and only 80,000 are eating breakfast,” said Illinois Hunger Coalition Executive Director Diane Doherty.
The study, conducted by the Food Research and Action Center, compares the number of students from low- and moderate income families who eat school-provided lunches with those who eat provided breakfasts.
Only 28.7 percent of eligible students in Chicago schools participate in school breakfast programs as opposed to 88.4 percent of students in Newark, N.J., public schools.
In a companion study that looks at state breakfast programs overall, Illinois ranked last; it has consistently been among the bottom-ranked states.
About 24 schools in the Chicago area take advantage of either universal -- free breakfast for all students -- or reduced-price breakfasts.
A typical morning meal includes a granola bar, a fruit cup, milk or juice, and a banana. About once a week students are given a hot breakfast item, such as an egg sandwich.
At Talman Elementary School in Gage Park on the South Side, about 96 percent of the school’s 314 students are eligible for free or reduced-price breakfast programs. However, only 34 percent of those students actually participate in the program, said principal Jacqueline Medina.
Children on the school’s student council cited lack of time in the mornings as the biggest reason for not eating breakfast at school.
“My stomach growls and it’s hard to concentrate when you don’t eat breakfast,” said seventh-grader Stefanie Davila. “It’s hard to find time to eat breakfast because I have basketball practice in the morning.”
Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day but between early-morning activities, lack of parent supervision in the morning and the social stigma associated with coming early to eat breakfast, the program has not been successful.
Still, some students find the program more than beneficial. Jesus Garcia, 14, said he eats something before leaving for school, but also indulges in the school breakfast because he is hungry by the time classes begin.
According to Doherty, if Chicago Public Schools could increase participation in the school breakfast program to 70 percent, they could get an additional $24.6 million of federally-allocated money.
Doherty also added that it was up to Mayor Richard M. Daley to ensure that this money is made full use of, but said that he was unwilling to get involved with a federal program.
Officials at the mayor’s office were unavailable for comment.
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