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February 10, 2015
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Contact: Nancy Parello, (908) 399-6031, nparello@acnj.org NJ Achieves Highest Increase in Nation for School Breakfast New Jersey achieved the greatest rise in the nation in the percent of low-income students eating breakfast at school, according to a new national report released today. Prior to the launch of the campaign, New Jersey historically ranked nearly last in the nation for its low student participation in school breakfast. According to FRAC’s report, New Jersey schools are now serving nearly 51 percent of low-income children who also ate lunch at school. The goal is to serve 70 percent of these students. “With growing poverty and hunger, school breakfast is one of the most effective anti-hunger programs available,” said Adele LaTourette, executive director of the New Jersey Anti-Hunger Coalition and co-leader of the school breakfast campaign. “Not only are schools feeding hungry children, they are bringing more federal dollars to local schools to ensure that every child has a healthy breakfast each school day.” Zalkind noted that while this is great progress, New Jersey has about 300,000 low-income students who are still missing out on breakfast. “We are out of the bottom 10, but not yet in the top 10,” Zalkind said. “We still have work to do. We urge school leaders who haven’t done so yet to consider this simple change in the way they serve breakfast. Everyone wins when kids eat breakfast.” To learn more about the campaign, visit njschoolbreakfast.org. |