Posted on 03/17/2005 12:25:18 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
School Breakfast Program in WI "Embarassing" 03-16-2005
For the 7th consecutive year, Wisconsin schools are dead last when it comes to the most important meal of the day. Wisconsin is 50th in the nation when it comes to the number of schools that offer breakfast programs, and the number of low-income students
It's a morning routine now for Anna Toppel and her brother Hunter. They've been eating breakfast at their school in DeForest for the past year.
"The fact that they can go to school earlier, was the number one reason why we went with it," Anna's mother, Jodi Toppel said. "Now that they have the breakfast there, it's a lot less hassles in the morning."
Convenience was the selling point for the Toppel family. For $1 each, their kids get a breakfast at school every morning. Low income families can pick up a reduced price breakfast for just 30 cents. For every breakfast served, the state then reimburses the school a dime.
Jon Janowski, director of the Hunger Task Force says schools need to do more, and the state needs to do more to give schools an incentive. The Hunger Task Force is a non-profit group out of Milwaukee that is a leader in promoting change to the state's school breakfast program. "The bottom line is -- hungry children don't learn, and there are children who go to school hungry all over the state on any given day."
Statistically, it doesn't look good for Wisconsin. According to numbers from the food research and action center, only 47% of Wisconsin schools offer school breakfast to their students -- dead last in the nation. The national average is 79%.
Janowski wants more schools to take advantage of the several federal grants available for the creation a school breakfast program. "We would argue -- this program offers so many benefits to kids, there really isn't any reason not to offer the program," Janowski said.
But even Janowski admits starting a school breakfast program is not an easy task. After the startup grant is gone -- typically after two years -- the schools then have to foot the bill themselves. Staffing alone for the breakfast program at DeForest's Middle School costs about $8,000 a year. Other schools 27 News contacted point out other hidden obstacles -- like earlier bus schedules, time for eating, and then there's the money needed for more staffing.
Governor Doyle proposed increasing the state breakfast reimbursement from 10 cents to 15 cents to help offset some of those costs. His plan would cost the state $1.3 million in the next two-year budget.
"When the need is there, I think it's pretty immoral of us not to be there doing what we can," State Representative Sondy Pope-Roberts said. "It's a pretty simple thing once it gets going."
Pope-Roberts says she supports the governor's plan to increase funding and reimbursement to schools. The problem, she says, is getting other legislators to understand the generational changes in play. "If you look at today's population in schools and it's completely different. I think the assumption is: because I send my child to school with a healthy breakfast, everyone else must. They aren't remembering those single families, maybe holding down a couple of jobs, maybe not enough money to provide a nutritious breakfast. Kids cannot go to school hungry and be expected to learn and be well behaved. It just doesn't happen."
The Hunger Task Force has teamed up with the Wisconsin Council of Churches, to lobby legislators to support an increase in funding to the state's school breakfast program. The two groups will be at the capitol tomorrow to testify before the the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee in support of the reimbursement hike.
Eleven out of the 16 school districts in Dane County offer school breakfast in at least one of their schools. Monona Grove, Wisconsin Heights, Sun Prairie, and Verona are the only districts in the county with all of their schools serving breakfast.
Sounds like a great State. Now if you could just move it somewhere warmer...
My mom worked swing shifts and those days when she had to take me early she fed me, but gave me enough money for a breakfast "snack", because I was there, 45 min to an hour before class started. She absolutely refused to pay the 'poor' price for any food I ate at school. She said,"we are not poor."
My mom never accepted subsidies on anything to do with our family, she just said, "well, if it's important enough, the Lord will provide me with a way to provide for you" My mom is and was a classy lady.
We pay for school breakfast. The alternative is to put them in the school gym for "Lord of the Flies" activities.
You know, All eight of us kids learned in school. We had breakfast
oatmeal, toast, etc. packed lunches, a sandwich, an apple, or an orange,which we looked forward to. They only served milk. Then Mom had a great supper.No kid needs more than this. It is insane how warped this "socialism", has devoured parental responsibility. We learned more than this generation.
Of course, that was in the evil 50's when June Cleaver wore pearls to cook. I guess those weren't such bad days.
Not the same thing. Your parent wasn't a crackhead or a drunk who sold the Christmas presents to get high. That's what some of these kids have at home. It's not the real reason anyway. The more kids you have at breakfast, the more free government money for the school.
But we used it till my Father got paid more. Some things you just have to do to get by. Now I only buy whole milk though, anything else is to darn close to "blue". (no more Strawberry milk either...)
I have a great deal of respect for my parents, raising four kids on a limited income. They did EVERYTHING for us to get a good education and a happy home life.
The kids in the parks are generally the ones selling drugs. The fat kids are sitting home watching MTV and playing video games.
Isn't it awful? I say any parent who refuses to feed their children brealfast should be brought into court. That is child abuse!
But, my father worked seven nights a week to provide for his family. And he was no Ward Cleaver. He drank too much. He gambled too much. But, he instilled in his children the importance of family and a strong work ethic. For that, most of all, I am thankful. (Though, it would have been nice to have the whole package). My father would NEVER have allowed one of his children to accept state money to pay for any meal.
Speaking of breakfast, many years ago my third-grade daughter asked me one day if she could have permission to lie to her teacher. Quite naturally, I took that as a bizarre question and asked for details. She explained that every day, each student had to tell the class what they had for breakfast that morning. And every time my little girl listed things like bacon, buttered toast, eggs, pancakes, etc., the teacher singled her out and told her how bad she was for eating "bad food" like that, how she should go home and tell her parents she wasn't going to eat such bad foods anymore and demand "good foods" for breakfast like fruit, etc.
I'll let you guess as to how this revelation was received, but I'll tell you that I had her in another school within the week.
MM
Let 'um buy the clothes for them too.
"Let 'um buy the clothes for them too."
Yes, all of these ideas are good. We are entitled to have the govenment give us these things. Actually, no, I will pay $1.00 a week for them. Per kid, even!
I was checking out at the grocery store yesterday. The lady in front of me was buying $150.00 worth of groceries, mostly "quick dinner" items, sweets, pop, etc. The real kicker was a tiny jar of macadamia nuts that cost $7.49. Then she pulls out the WIC card and $30.00 comes off the bill.
"Then she pulls out the WIC card and $30.00 comes off the bill."
Was she the size of a double-wide?
Nope. She was very nice looking. If I could have gotten to the parking lot in time, I'd be willing to bet I would've see her drive off in a big SUV.
In Wa state, they have the children work in the cafeteria, they are all required to, I called and told the school I do not want my daughter working in the cafeteria, I also noted that perhaps some of the parents that were receiving free lunches for their children could come down and volunteer their time to give back to the system (if they are not already doing so and are not gainfully employed).
Well, that's just it. Most of the parents who take advantage of these lunches will be sure to spend $3 a day on cigarettes or else those kids will be wearing brand name clothing head to toe.
My BIL and his wife had a daughter a few years ago. She got on WIC. But, they always made it a point to have their daughter in POLO clothes and brand name sneakers.
My community school district (an upscale NW suburb of Milwaukee) instituted this fiasco last year in the middle and High schools. IIRC, there were a whopping 15 students TOTAL who used it all year.
This is the same district that's trying to pass yet ANOTHER referendum to get their hands deeper into our pockets. Is it any wonder I home school?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.