School Lunches

Sorry Teach, LAUSD Won’t Expel Its Free Breakfast Program

The program is staying in place
The program is staying in place Photo: Mike Licht, Notionscapital.com/Flickr

Despite the peck of persnickety teachers griping that LAUSD’s free breakfast program for low-income students is a drain on classroom time—with a bit of an infestation from vermin and bugs to boot—the school district is going to keep the program in place. The announcement comes on the tails of news that Jerry Brown is boosting the state’s public school coffers with greater funds than previously expected.

Citing an 89% uptick in student participation rate for the free breakfasts, district officials are approving the extension of the program, despite some support for eliminating the program from members of the United Teachers Los Angeles and the LAUSD board. But even those who are suspicious of the program still see defeating hunger as crucial to children’s education. Board-member Steve Zimmer tells The L.A. Times today, “We know we cannot turn away and pretend for a moment longer that [hunger] is someone else’s problem. This is not instead of education. This is education.” [LAT]

Sorry Teach, LAUSD Won’t Expel Its Free Breakfast Program