According to a report released today by the Washington, DC, based Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), Vermont ranks in the top ten states for school breakfast participation. Vermont’s ranking fell slightly from 6thto 8thfrom the previous year, not because Vermont’s participation has dropped, but because other states had early access to the new Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) which allows schools in high poverty areas to serve free school meals to all children regardless of their families’ incomes. While some states piloted CEP as early as 2011, the new provision only became newly available to Vermont schools this school year.
Thirty schools in Vermont began using the new CEP starting September 2014 serving 7,000 students free breakfast and lunch every day at school. Schools eligible to use this new provision must have at least 40% of the student population participating in another qualifying program such as Reach Up or 3SquaresVT (food stamps).
“We’ve been pleased to see so many schools in Vermont embrace CEP since it became available.” says Anore Horton, Nutrition Initiatives Director at Hunger Free Vermont.“Schools that have used CEP to provide universal school meals since September have seen huge increases in breakfast and lunch participation.These schools are reporting many benefits to this new program including fewer reports of student hunger, less behavior related visits to the principals’ offices, and reduced meal debt for the school.”
Schools not eligible to use CEP to provide universal meals are employing other tactics to increase student participation in breakfast programs. Serving breakfast in the classroom during first period or providing “grab-and-go” bagged breakfast options have been successful strategies to increase participation in Vermont and around the country. Other states have successfully mandated that schools provide breakfast after the first morning bell in high poverty areas to ensure at-risk children have access to breakfast. The combination of using CEP and state mandates has significantly improved states’ rankings on breakfast participation. “Vermont is currently the leading New England state on implementing universal schools meals. However, there is more we can do within all schools to ensure students have access to a nutritious breakfast every day,” notes Horton.
February 10, 2015,(South Burlington)—Hunger Free Vermont. Hunger Free Vermonthas launched the School Meals Hub which is available at:hungerfreevt.org/school-meals-hub.