Hempstead, NY - October 12, 2015 - The Hempstead School District announced today that the breakfast in the classroom program, which began as a pilot program in the beginning of the school year, will now be expanded to all eight elementary schools in the Hempstead Union Free school district and will be fully operational within the next four weeks.
Funding and supervision for the program is done through a partnership between the national school superintendents program (AASA), and the Walmart Foundation, which generously donated close to $200,000 for the endeavor.
“The program has really taken off since we first implemented it in a few of our elementary schools,” said Sharon Gardner, Director of Food Services at Hempstead School District. “We are now fully ready and fully confident that we can expand this program to include the full range of all elementary school students in the district.”
Studies have shown that children are not enrolled in the program for a number of reasons—either because they do not want to be seen eating breakfast in the cafeteria, their parents do not have sufficient information about the program or understand that they are eligible to participate, or transportation to get the child to school in time for breakfast is not available.
“Students who eat breakfast and who aren’t going through the day hungry are simply better able and more willing to learn, said Hempstead School District Superintendent Susan Johnson.” “Education and proper nutrition go hand in hand, they aren’t mutually exclusive.
Hempstead school district is only one of 11 school districts nationwide receiving grants as part of a $10.5 million initiative the Walmart Foundation is giving this fall to support school feeding and nutrition education programs. The School Superintendent Association, which oversees this school breakfast initiative, works to support where learning happens by providing assistance to school districts to ensure healthy, safe and engaged students.