School Officials Consider Expansion Of Breakfast Program

During the last school year, breakfast was served daily at the town's eight elementary schools and the two middle schools.

School officials ran a pilot breakfast program during the 2009-10 school year at one elementary school and have gradually expanded it. The most recent addition was in April, when the two middle schools were added.

Under the program, all students may eat breakfast at school. The schools' major goal was to provide a meal at the start of the day for students from lower income families who may not have eaten breakfast.

Erardi said one issue to consider when thinking of expanding to the high school is whether students might refuse to take part, fearful that there's a stigma to participating in a program aimed at lower income students. Under the program, students whose families meet federal income guidelines pay nothing or less than full price; others pay full price.

"Is there a need at the high school? Certainly," Erardi said, "but whether students would participate — that's another issue. Students who qualify to receive a free or reduced-price lunch will often refuse because of who is in front of them in line and who is behind them."

According to a report given to the school board July 19, 44,119 breakfasts were served at the schools during the past school year. Thalberg School was the busiest, with 7,619 breakfasts served.

The school system has relied on outside financial support, including donations from Bread for Life, which runs a soup kitchen that serves lunch daily and helps operate a food pantry for the needy. Bread for Life Executive Director Eldon Hafford said he is not surprised by the number of meals the breakfast program served.

"The need for this is greater than most people realize," Hafford said. "I think the numbers next year will be even greater. Bread for Liife is seeing more people coming to the soup kitchen and the food pantry.

Week 1: Thursday Morning « CCCSH Breviary

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Jesus Hymn: The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. (Colossians 1:15-20)