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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NJ Jumps to 19th Nationally for School Breakfast New Jersey is now in the top 20 nationwide for ensuring that more low-income students start their school day with a healthy morning meal, giving them the nutrition they need to concentrate and learn, according to a national report released today. New Jersey ranked 23rd last year and 46th in 2011, prior to the launch of the NJ Food for Thought Campaign, which has been credited with fueling the increase in school breakfast participation. Zalkind noted that while New Jersey continues to make strong progress on this front, about 300,000 low-income students are still missing out on breakfast. That means New Jersey schools are also missing out on a chance to claim more federal dollars to feed hungry children. Federal funding for the program is based on the number of meals served. According to the 2018 state budget, New Jersey districts are expected to collect $98 million in federal reimbursements -- $50 million more than in state fiscal year 2011. Still, if New Jersey achieved 70 percent participation among students who eat lunch at school, schools would collect $14.2 million more each year in federal dollars to feed students, according to FRAC’s School Breakfast Scorecard. “We urge school leaders who haven’t done so yet to make this simple change in the way they serve breakfast,” Zalkind said. “While nearly all of New Jersey’s large urban districts are now serving breakfast after the bell in elementary schools, many are not doing so in the high schools. This needs to change, as thousands of teenagers are starting their day without the nutrition they need to succeed in school.” To learn more about the NJ Food for Thought School Breakfast campaign, visit njschoolbreakfast.org. ### About the report The Food Research and Action Center measures the reach of the School Breakfast Program by comparing the number of low-income children that participate in breakfast to those that participate in school lunch. The School Breakfast Scorecard contains national and state data for breakfast participation. School Breakfast – Making it Work in Large School Districts surveys 73 large urban school districts across the country on school breakfast participation rates and policies during the school year. Both reports are available at www.frac.org. |
School Breakfast Campaign is a partnership of state agencies, child advocates, anti-hunger coalitions, statewide education organizations and national organizations. |
Advocates for Children of New Jersey |