Free Breakfast Now Available To All City School Kids

NY1 News ^ | 9/12/03 | NY1

[TomServo]

There's no such thing as a free lunch, but Schools Chancellor Joel Klein said Friday, starting immediately, there will now be free breakfast for the city's more than 1.1 million students.

Klein said any student, regardless of need, can show up early on any school day for a healthy breakfast.

However, there will be a slight hike in school lunch prices for children not eligible for reduced-price lunch. The price will rise from $1 to $1.50.

It's all part of an effort by the Department of Education to encourage eligible families to apply for the school meal program.

The DOE points out the price hasn’t gone up in eight years, and is now more in line with other school systems.

At the same time, the city hopes the announcement of the new initiative will make more low-income parents aware they should apply for free or reduced price meals. Those applications in turn will help the system obtain millions more in federal anti-poverty funds.

“The lunch program is important because obviously we need nutritional lunches for these kids, and so many of our kids who are eligible for free and reduced lunch are not taking advantage of it,” said Klein. “If kids are not eating in school, that’s a mistake. Eating junk food or other things, that has an impact on their health as well as their education. We're getting serious about it.”

Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke about the breakfast change during his weekly radio address.

“The kids who come to school without a decent meal in his or her stomach, they don't learn anything,” said the mayor. “People say, ‘Why give the kids breakfast?’ Well, if you want to educate the kids, which is in everybody's interest, they have to have a meal too.”

The Department of Education serves 810,000 school meals per day, the largest amount in the country.

[netmilsmom]

Free Breakfast?? $1.50 school lunch. Glad my taxes don't pay for this.

Where's your cool Mystery Science Theatre 3000 tagline?

[OldEagle]

If these unadvantaged children are eligible for food stamps, why can't they have breakfast at home?

[luckystarmom]

Personally, I like the idea of free breakfasts and lunches for poor kids. I much prefer that over food stamps or giving their families money. At least, the kids get something healthy to eat and hopefully they will be better able to learn.

I don't blame kids for their crappy parents.

[xrp]

I'm beginning to understand why my mother always had me pack a brown bag lunch. #1 She didn't trust the food the government served us and #2 she didn't want to subsidize someone else's food.

[TomServo]

I never noticed that it doesn't show up on posting a thread.

[Mears]

I'm a mother of five and grandmother of six.

Why on earth can't parents fix their own kids' breakfasts? What on earth do kids have parents for if the state is going to take care of them?

Are parents becoming unnecessary?

[Bob J]

They assume that any kid not taking advantage of their offer is going hungry, malnourished or being given junk food by their parents.

[Mears]

Another thought-----Do any of these disadvantaged kids have cable TV? Who pays for that.? If cable was eliminated the savings would buy lots of Cheerios and milk.

[finnman69]

They aren't learning anything in these schools. Might as well give em a snack.

[TomServo]

I'm still trying to understand this...

There's no such thing as a free lunch

and

Klein said any student, regardless of need, can show up early on any school day for a healthy breakfast.

Then this...

However, there will be a slight hike in school lunch prices for children not eligible for reduced-price lunch. The price will rise from $1 to $1.50.

I'm trying to figure out who's scammin' who...lessee - you have to pay extra, but only if you want to pay at all?

[Joe Hadenuf]

Personally, I like the idea of free breakfasts and lunches for poor kids.

I agree. I can hardly afford the gas to take my kids to school. I think they should offer us poor people reduced gas or free gas.

Oh and for dinner I got to feed my kids macaroni dinner all the time. Isn't there some place for free dinners too?

[FourPeas]

From those who have, to those who need. Want your kid to eat hot lunch at school? Sure no problem, as long as you're willing to pay for the kid next to him to have a free breakfast.

[cyborg]

Where have YOU been? Don't you know kids do not mommy and grandma anymore? The government thinks their version of the peanut butter sandwich is better than yours.

[stanz]

My daughter survived pre-school, grade school and high school without one free meal- - -and I'm a single parent.
If I did it, so can most other people. By the way, I never spent money on cigarettes, booze or fast food...those things to me were luxury items.

[George from New England]

The price will rise from $1 to $1.50.

It's all part of an effort by the Department of Education to encourage eligible families to apply for the school meal program.

That's it, price it out of the reasonable range to force sheeple compliance.

I have physican problems due to the exact same reason.

A doctor's sports physical that 3 years ago was run as a special in a local paper at $30.
One year ago was $90 because that's what the insurance would pay.
Is today $185 because I don't have insurance and the doctor claims state laws (CT) that prohibit him from allowing me to pay what the insurance or socialized state medicine would pay. If I only signed on to the socialized plan I would pay under $90. Under $90 even if my income was 100k+ because the state has a contract with the doctor. No contract: the doctor expects $185.

The liberals bring in "handout" programs, then price the "regular" rate to citizens so out of wack that everybody "has to" sign up for the handout to avoid the excessive rates.

[BenLurkin]

You'd thnk we are a third world nation that needs to be on bread lines. What nonsenase. This will only breed more negligent parenting in our rotting urban cores.

[Mears]

Except in "peanut free" classrooms,my grandaughter was in one this year.

Unbelievable,one kid with allergies,24 kids couldn't eat peanut butter sandwiches.

[Guillermo]

That's the whole point of the program, to allow parents to abdicate responsibility to the State.

The "free" breakfast is for every kid, not just the poor ones.

[TomServo]

Unbelievable,one kid with allergies,24 kids couldn't eat peanut butter sandwiches.

My niece has this allergy. Pretty bad, too. She breathes the stuff and she's in trouble...anyway, she carries her meds and the kids eat what they want.