SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS SUCH AS HOLYOKE HAVE IMPLEMENTED THE
BREAKFAST AFTER THE BELL TO ENSURE STUDENTS START THE DAY ON
A FULL STOMACH AND READY TO LEARN.
SOME LAWMAKERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH 60% OR
MORE OF THEIR STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH TO
SERVE BREAKFAST AFTER THE BELL.
CAROLEE MCGRATH SAT DOWN WITH HOLYOKE STATE REPRESENTATIVE
AARON VEGA TO LEARN MORE.
>> I WAS PROUD TO BE THE LEAD SPONSOR ON THE HOUSE SIDE AND
GOT TO WORK WITH A GREAT SENATOR.
HE TOOK THE LEAD ON THE SENATE SIDE.
WE FILED LEGISLATION THAT WOULD PUT A MANDATE FORWARD THAT ANY
DISTRICT WITH 60% OR MORE FREE REDUCED LUNCH STUDENTS WOULD
IMPLEMENT THE BREAKFAST AFTER THE BELL PROGRAM WHICH HAS
FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT COME TO IT WITH KIDS GETTING BREAKFAST.
IT WAS NOT AN UNFUNDED MANDATE IN ANY WAY.
IT WAS TO SAY LET'S TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MONEY THAT'S
OUT THERE FEDERALLY THAT WE ARE NOT BRINGING INTO DISTRICTS AND
LET'S ADDRESS ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES WE HAVE IN THE
COMMONWEALTH, KIDS THAT ARE HUNGRY.
I WAS ABLE TO LEAD IN THE HOUSE AND SENATOR ON THE SENATE SIDE.
>> TELL ME HOW DOES THE PROGRAM WORK.
THE KIDS COME TO SCHOOL, GO TO HOME ROOM AND THEY ARE EATING
BREAKFAST THEN?
>> EXACTLY.
SO A LOT OF SCHOOLS HAVE BREAKFAST AVAILABLE BEFORE THE
BELL.
BUT WE KNOW TWO THINGS.
BASICALLY THAT EITHER THERE'S A LOT OF DRAMA GOING ON IN THE
KIDS' LIVES.
EVEN GETTING TO SCHOOL ON TIME IS A STRUGGLE.
IF YOU'RE COMING TO SCHOOL WITH YOUR FRIENDS, YOU'LL PROBABLY
TAKE 10 MINUTES TO PLAY BASKETBALL OR DOING SOMETHING
INSTEAD OF GETTING CEREAL.
SO KIDS ARE COMING IN HUNGRY.
THIS WE KNOW.
ESPECIALLY IN HAMPDEN COUNTY.
THE CAFETERIA PREPARES THE MEALS AND DELIVERS IT TO EACH
CLASSROOM AND TEACHERS TAKE 10, 15 MINUTES TO START THEIR DAY.
THEY SHARE BREAKFAST.
IT'S NOT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE TEACHER TO CHECK IN WITH THE
STUDENTS TO SEE HOW THEY ARE DOING, TO NOTICE ANYTHING, ANY
BEHAVIOR, ANYTHING HAPPENING WITH STUDENTS THAT THEY CAN
CHECK IN ABOUT.
MY SON IS IN PRESCHOOL.
THEY START THEIR DAY WITH BREAKFAST.
WE ALL SHOULD START OUR DAY WITH BREAKFAST.
MANY OF THESE KIDS HAVE FAMILIES WHO AREN'T SITTING AROUND THE
TABLE HAVING BREAKFAST TOGETHER.
IT GIVES A SENSE OF COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE TALKED TO TEACHERS.
WE KNOW THAT USUALLY THE FIRST 10, 15 MINUTES OF CLASS, KIDS
PUT AWAY THEIR BOOK BAGS, NO ONE IS SETTLING IN.
NOW THEY ARE COMING IN MORE SETTLED IN BECAUSE THEY ARE
GETTING FOOD.
>> PEOPLE MAY SAY, IF IT'S OFFERED BEFORE CLASS, TEACHERS
HAVE SO MUCH ON THEIR PLATE, ESPECIALLY WITH TESTING.
NOW YOU'RE TAKING ANOTHER 15 MINUTES AWAY AND PICKING UP
WRAPPERS AND SOMEBODY IS NOT FINISHING SOMETHING.
IT'S ALMOST A DISRUPTION.
ARE YOU GETTING PUSHBACK?
>> WE'VE GOTTEN PUSHBACK MOSTLY FROM PLACES THAT HAVEN'T
IMPLEMENTED YET.
THERE'S ALWAYS THE UNKNOWN.
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO OUR TEACHER, I KNOW HOW HARD THEY
ARE WORKING IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
YOU'RE RIGHT, ONE MORE THING.
BUT WHAT WE ARE SEEING IN HOLYOKE WHEN WE IMPLEMENTED, WE
WANTED TO LOOK AT ATTENDANCE AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION.
THOSE THINGS AND OTHER THINGS WE ARE DOING HAVE GONE DOWN.
GONE DOWN AND GONE UP.
KIDS ARE SHOWING UP ON TIME.
TARDINESS IS RELIEVED.
THAT'S MORE DISRUPTIVE HAVING KIDS COME IN LATE TO SCHOOL.
THAT'S GONE DOWN.
AND THE DISCIPLINARY RATES HAVE GONE DOWN.
>> IS IT HELPING WITH THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP?
DO YOU THINK IT IS HELPING WITH TEST SCORES?
>> WE'RE SEEING KIDS ARE ABLE TO CONCENTRATE MORE.
WE'RE ASSUMING THAT IF THEY ARE ON TIME AND THERE'S NO
DISCIPLINARY ACTION, NOT BEING KICKED OUT OF CLASS, THERE'S
MORE TIME ON LEARNING.
SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE THOSE TEST SCORES COME UP.
IF YOU'RE A YOUNG PERSON -- I HAVE BEEN A YOUNG PERSON.
WE'RE HUNGRY.
WE HAVE A SAYING.
HANGRY.
YOU GET HUNGRY, YOU GET ANGRY.
YOU CAN'T CONCENTRATE.
IMAGINE BEING 6, 7 YEARS OLD.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE DRAMA AND TRAUMA IN YOUR LIFE AND YOU'RE
COMING TO SCHOOL AND HUNGRY AND THE TEACHER IS SAYING LET'S TALK
ABOUT U.S. HISTORY, MATH -- YOU CAN'T CONCENTRATE.
>> TELL US ABOUT THE FOUNDATION.
I KNOW THEY CAME OUT WITH A SCHOOL REPORT.
A BREAKFAST REPORT CARD.
THEY REALLY TALKED ABOUT HOW CHILDHOOD HUNGER REALLY AFFECTS
THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP.
HOW DOES THE FOUNDATION HELP WITH START-UP COSTS?
>> IT'S BEEN SO GREAT WORK WITHING WITH SAL, MUCH OF MY
COLLEAGUES.
THE OTHER GREAT THING HAS BEEN BOTH THE WESTERN MASS FOOD BANK
AND THE BOSTON FOOD BANK.
THEY ARE BIG SUPPORTERS OF THE BILL AND THE FOUNDATION.
THEY CAME TO US IN HOLYOKE AND WHAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE IS
PRIVATE DOLLARS.
THEY CAN GIVE GRANTS UP TO $10,000 FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
$10,000 TO A DISTRICT LIKE HOLYOKE OR SPRINGFIELD IS A LOT
OF MONEY.
THAT'S HALF A TEACHER'S SALARY.
IT'S HARD TO CARVE THAT OUT TO BUY CARTS AND FOOD BAGS TO KEEP
FOOD WARM.
SO THEY SAY, WE'LL COVER THOSE COSTS.
WE WANT TO SEE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP GO DOWN.
THIS IS WHAT WE ARE BRINGING TO THE TABLE.
SO LEGISLATION IS ACTUALLY THE IDEA THAT GROUPS SHOULD BE
APPROACHED TO WORK ON IMPLEMENTATION SO IT'S NOT
COSTING DISTRICTS MONEY.
>> WHAT'S THE TIMELINE?
>> THE TIMELINE FOR THE BILL WHICH SHOULD PASS WITHIN THE
NEXT MONTH IS THE PRIMARY, EARLY AND SECONDARY PROGRAM WOULD PUT
FORTH A PROGRAM IN THE 201 2019-2020.
THERE ARE PROGRAMS LIKE GRAB AND GO.
WE ARE HOPING MOST DISTRICTS WILL IMPLEMENT BREAKFAST AFTER
THE BELL IN THE CLASSROOM.
EVERY DISTRICT THAT WE HAVE WORKED WITH, WORCESTER,
SPRINGFIELD, HOLYOKE, SMALLER COMMUNITIES, OTHERS, IT WORKS.
>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THOSE THE SMALLER COMMUNITIES.
YOU THINK OF HOLYOKE, SPRINGFIELD, BOSTON.
I KNOW THAT BOSTON IS NOT IMPLEMENTING THIS AS MUCH.
>> THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG PUSHES.
THEY ARE IMPLEMENTING ABOUT 11 TO 17 SCHOOLS OUT OF THEIR 171
SCHOOLS.
WE KNOW THAT THEY HAVE LARGE DISPROPORTIONATE POVERTY RATES
THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE COMMUNITY.
THE KIDS ARE DEFINITELY IN NEED.
WHAT I HAVE LEARNED, EVERYONE TALKS ABOUT HOLYOKE, SPRINGFIELD
-- FOOD, HEALTHCARE DISPARITIES.
SMALL TOWNS, THE HILL TOWNS SUBURBAN DISTRICTS HAVE THE SAME
ISSUES.
ACCESS TO FOOD.
ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE.
WE ARE SEEING THE SAME ISSUES IN OUR SMALL TOWNS.
THIS PROGRAM WORKS VERY WELL IN OUR SMALL TOWNS AS WELL.
THERE MAY BE MORE LOGISTICS.
SOME OF THE START-UP MONEY IS TO MAKE SURE THE FOOD A PREPARED AT
SCHOOL, THAT IT'S KEPT WARM AND DELIVERED TO THE OTHER SCHOOLS.
NOT EVERY SCHOOL HAS A WORKING SCHOOL.
THE MONEY IS MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO MOVE THE FOOD
AROUND.
AGAIN, SAME ISSUES THAT WE ARE SEEING IN OUR RURAL DISTRICTS AS
WELL.
THAT ACCESS TO FOOD.
>> OK.
STATE REPRESENT AARON VEGA, THANK YOU FOR COMING IN AND
TALKING US TO ABOUT THIS.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU.