PRINTER'S NO. 4302
No. 866 Session of 2008
INTRODUCED BY MYERS, BENNINGTON, BISHOP, BRENNAN, CALTAGIRONE,
DONATUCCI, FABRIZIO, FRANKEL, GEORGE, GIBBONS, HORNAMAN,
JAMES, KIRKLAND, MANN, MANTZ, McGEEHAN, MELIO, MILLARD,
M. O'BRIEN, PAYNE, ROEBUCK, SAINATO, SCAVELLO, STABACK AND
YOUNGBLOOD, SEPTEMBER 15, 2008
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
SEPTEMBER 15, 2008
A RESOLUTION
1 Supporting the National School Breakfast Program and recognizing
2 the Philadelphia School District for being selected to
3 participate in the Department of Agriculture's School
4 Breakfast Program Expansion Initiative.
5 WHEREAS, The School Breakfast Program was established in 1966
6 as a pilot program designed to provide categorical grants to
7 assist schools serving breakfasts to "nutritionally needy"
8 children, and in 1975, the program received permanent
9 authorization; and
10 WHEREAS, The program provides cash assistance to states to
11 operate nonprofit breakfast programs in schools and residential
12 child-care institutions; and
13 WHEREAS, At the Federal level, the National School Breakfast
14 Program (NSBP) is administered by the Department of Agriculture
15 through its Food and Nutrition Service; and
16 WHEREAS, At the state level, NSBP is typically administered
17 by state education agencies; and
1 WHEREAS, Many families are living on strict budgets and find
2 it difficult to provide breakfasts at home; and
3 WHEREAS, Children in families who experience hunger and food
4 insecurities are two-to-three times more likely to have
5 emotional, behavioral and academic problems; and
6 WHEREAS, More than 100,000 Philadelphia students skip the
7 opportunity to have a healthy breakfast; and
8 WHEREAS, Nationally, approximately 45% of students in NSBP
9 eat a school breakfast, and nationally in fiscal year 2006-2007,
10 more than 9.7 million children participated in the program every
11 day; and
12 WHEREAS, During the 2005-2006 school year, 43,166 (29.6%) of
13 low-income students participated in the NSBP in Philadelphia,
14 resulting in approximately 100,000 eligible low-income students
15 not receiving the free breakfast; and
16 WHEREAS, Studies have shown that students are more attentive
17 and perform better academically when they eat a healthy
18 breakfast prior to the start of the school day; and
19 WHEREAS, Eating breakfast can improve classroom performance,
20 grades and test scores, increase the ability to focus, decrease
21 behavioral problems and increase attendance; and
22 WHEREAS, School breakfasts supply one-quarter of the
23 Recommended Daily Allowance for children; and
24 WHEREAS, Typically, schools use one of the following
25 approaches depending on their needs:
26 (1) "Breakfast in the Classroom" where students have the
27 opportunity to eat a healthy meal at their desks;
28 (2) "Grab 'n' Go" where students grab the packaged meal
29 and eat it on school grounds; or
30 (3) "Breakfast After 1st Period" where students have the
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1 opportunity to eat after their first class;
2 and
3 WHEREAS, The Philadelphia School District has been recognized
4 nationally for being first in the nation in 1991, and remaining
5 the national leader in having a Universal Service system where
6 no written, means-tested application is required for either free
7 or reduced-price lunches and breakfasts and where all children
8 in such schools are eligible for a free meal; and
9 WHEREAS, The Philadelphia School District has been selected
10 to participate in the Department of Agriculture's School
11 Breakfast Program Expansion Initiative; therefore be it
12 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives support the
13 National School Breakfast Program and recognize the Philadelphia
14 School District for being selected to participate in the
15 Department of Agriculture's School Breakfast Program Expansion
16 Initiative; and be it further
17 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives commend the
18 Philadelphia School District for remaining the national leader
19 in having a Universal Service system where all children in such
20 schools are eligible for a free meal.
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