Res. No. 911-A
Resolution calling upon the New York City Department of Education to support breakfast in the classroom in every school in New York City.
By Council Members Levin, Chin, Comrie, Dickens, Rose, Vann, Garodnick, Koppell, Jackson, Lander, Dromm, Brewer, Rodriguez, Williams, Barron, Eugene, Gentile, Greenfield, Sanders Jr. and Gennaro
Whereas, According to the National Education Association Health Network, research suggests that eating breakfast can help improve math, reading, and standardized test scores, as well as help students pay attention in class; and
Whereas, Skipping breakfast has been linked to greater body fat and weight problems; and
Whereas, In 1966, Congress enacted the Child Nutrition Act which grants funding to state educational facilities to provide free and reduced price school lunch and dinner; and
Whereas, According to a report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, children who eat school breakfast consume a lower percentage of calories from fat, less added sugar, more fiber, more vitamin C, and more calcium than children who do not eat school breakfast; and
Whereas, According to the New York City Department of Education (DOE), as of January 2012, only 28.4% of elementary school students, 15.4% of middle school students, and 12.6% of high school students participated in New York City school breakfast programs; and
Whereas, According to a 2012 study of 26 large urban school districts by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), New York City had the lowest school breakfast participation rate among low-income students; and
Whereas, Barriers to increasing the participation rate in the school breakfast program include the inability of children to arrive at school for the early food service time, students' unwillingness to visit the cafeteria for a meal while others are outside the school building, a desire to socialize rather than eat, and a desire to avoid the stigma of eating cafeteria breakfast; and
Whereas, According to FRAC, allowing students to eat in the classroom dramatically increases participation by making it convenient and accessible to all; and
Whereas, Breakfast in the classroom may be implemented by delivering food either directly to classrooms where students can eat or through the Grab 'n' Go system where bagged breakfasts are handed to each student as they come into school, and the student is allowed to eat breakfast in their first class; and
Whereas, Also according to FRAC, when children eat breakfast at school, it reduces hunger, tardiness, nurse visits, and improves nutrition and student achievement; and
Whereas, A free breakfast is technically already available to every student in every school cafeteria in New York City; and
Whereas, According to the DOE, in New York City breakfast in the classroom is currently only available in 381 schools; and
Whereas, implementation of school breakfast programs remains at the discretion of the principal; and
Whereas, As New York City's school system is the largest in the country, with over 1.1 million students and nearly 1700 schools, the DOE should prioritize offering breakfast in the classroom to schools with high percentages of students participating in the free and reduced priced lunch programs; and
Whereas, Since every school is configured differently and has different needs, principals should have the authority to determine how a school administers and participates in the program; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the upon the New York City Department of Education to support breakfast in the classroom in every school in New York City.
JW/AES
LS 2162
5/10/12