18A:33-9 - Findings, declarations relative to school breakfast programs
18A:33-9. Findings, declarations relative to school breakfast programs
1.The Legislature finds and declares that:
a.The School Breakfast Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions nationwide, and supplying to each participating child at least one-fourth of the nutrients needed daily;
b.The School Breakfast Program was established by the federal government in 1966 with the purpose of providing a nutritious, well-balanced breakfast to promote sound eating habits, and fostering good health and academic achievement for school-age children;
c.New Jersey ranks fiftieth in the nation for participation in the School Breakfast Program by schools offering school lunch, and has seen only modest increases in participation in recent years;
d.Research shows that school breakfast increases attendance and decreases tardiness, improves academic performance both in class and on standardized tests, improves attentiveness, and reduces emotional and behavioral problems among students from all backgrounds; and
e. Therefore, it is clearly in the public interest for the State to require that school districts with large populations of students eligible for federally subsidized meals offer the School Breakfast Program and publicize the program in their communities.
L.2003,c.4,s.1.