Richmond, CA — Friday morning, Assemblywoman Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) local elected officials, and nutrition groups visited Ford Elementary School in Richmond to highlight Classroom Breakfast, which has been a huge success at the school.

At Ford Elementary School a nutritious breakfast is served in the classroom every morning. Before the school implemented the program, only 40 students went to the cafeteria for breakfast. Now the school has 100% participation with over 400 students receiving a nutritious breakfast. In addition, their API scores have increased by 67 points.

AB 2200, a piece of legislation introduced by Assemblywoman Hancock last month, will ensure that all children in California receive a healthy breakfast like the students at Ford Elementary School.

The School Breakfast Program (SBP) is a federal program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that funds schools to provide nutritious breakfasts to children at reasonable prices. Unfortunately, over one million low-income children in California are currently missing out on the opportunity to eat a nutritious morning meal.

“Too many children in California start their school day on an empty stomach. Research has shown that a healthy breakfast has a positive impact on a child’s behavior and readiness to learn,” said Assemblywoman Hancock.

If all children eligible for free and low-cost meals participated in the school breakfast program, California could bring in close to $340 million in additional federal resources over the course of a school year. AB 2200 will bring the state closer to achieving this goal.

Hancock concludes, “As the school district struggles to deal with devastating cuts, we cannot afford to turn away available federal funding that will reduce hunger and improve academic performance for our children. We must work together to promote participation in this important program.”