When it comes to how well Montgomery County Public Schools is ensuring that low-income students have access to a nutritious school breakfast, the school district is just average, according to a new study.
The report was released by Maryland Hunger Solutions, a nonprofit based in Baltimore and includes a breakfast report for the 24 school districts in the state of Maryland. With more than 55,000 low-income students in Montgomery County, 49 percent are starting their day with a healthy school breakfast, according to the study. The school district received a C+ grade for low-income student participation.
Grades were given in three categories: low-income student participation; use of the state-funded program that provides breakfast to all students called Maryland Meals for Achievement; and adoption of the federal Community Eligibility Provision, which allows high-poverty schools to offer free breakfast and lunch to students.
“School breakfast means less hunger, better health, and improved educational outcomes for our children,” said Michael Wilson, director of Maryland Hunger Solutions. “We strongly encourage more schools across the state to offer breakfast at no charge to all students and serve breakfast after the school day begins so that more children may reap the many benefits of school breakfast.”
MCPS received an A+ grade for its involvement in the Maryland Meals for Achievement but did not score well in adopting the Federal Community Eligibility Provision since none of the schools that are eligible for the federal program in Montgomery County benefited from it in the 2017-2018 school year.
The report in its entirety can be viewed by clicking here.
My spouse once posted the nutritional information of a Snickers bar and of the breakfast served the previous day, without saying what the two items were, and asked his students which was the more nutritious. It was the Snickers bar.
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