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National School Breakfast Week shines light on hunger’s effects on learning

It’s estimated that more than half of our children go to school without having breakfast on any given day. That statistic from the Child Nutrition Foundation should concern us all.

Hungry children are unable to concentrate and achieve; the classroom’s atmosphere for learning is disrupted; a teacher’s attention is diverted from a carefully planned lesson to controlling irritable kids.

The message from teachers, child development experts and health care providers is clear: When kids come to school hungry, education suffers. Across the country, we have seen increased demands stretch food pantries and nutrition programs to the limits as families cope with job loss and other economic setbacks.

No matter the reason a child enters a school’s doors with an empty stomach, their education should not be sacrificed because of hunger.

The School Breakfast Program (SBP) is critical to maintaining the health and well-being of children who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. First established as a pilot program in 1966, the SBP served about 80,000 students in its first year of operation. Today, the SBP serves more than 10 million schoolchildren per year.

A mountain of studies has shown that children who eat a school breakfast perform better in the classroom and have better attendance in school. That’s why I’ll work to include the Student Breakfast and Education Act in the comprehensive child nutrition bill the Senate is expected to complete this year. The Student Breakfast bill would expand the number of schools that participate in the SBP by providing competitive grants to schools that have at least 65 percent of students who are eligible for free and reduced-price lunches.

In Wisconsin, we’ve worked with great success with the Department of Public Instruction on a pilot program using federal funds to help offset the capital costs to schools that wish to start or expand breakfast programs. Participation rates have grown, and more students are prepared to start a day of learning.

A healthy school breakfast can provide the energy that kids need to focus, follow lessons and absorb new information. As we celebrate this National School Breakfast Week, it’s important to remember the benefits of a healthy breakfast. Helping to ensure that every student starts the day with a nutritious breakfast encourages optimal learning conditions in the classroom for all children.

Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., can be reached at 330 Hart Building, Washington, D.C., 20510; phone (202) 224-5653. To contact Kohl by e-mail, go to kohl.senate.gov/contact.cfm.