Stakeholders in the food system are advocating for several bills in the Massachusetts legislature.
Legislation filed would require all school districts where 60 percent or more of students qualify for free or reduced lunches to serve breakfast at the start of each school day.
Breakfast after the bell, as it is known, has been a big success in Springfield, where it was implemented district-wide in 2017.
Truancy rates, chronic absenteeism, and suspensions all fell, according to Liz O’Gilvie, chair of the Springfield Food Policy Council.
"When children start the day with a full belly they tend to learn more and like the rest of us are able to be attentive," said O'Gilvie
Another legislative priority is to increase the funding for a program that doubles the value of food stamp recipients’ purchases of fresh vegetables and fruits directly from local farmers.
