Non-public schools, though currently included in the school lunch and breakfast program and eligible to receive the incentives, are not covered under this new mandate. The Alliance has been working with the Illinois Hunger Coalition, the State Board of Education, and the Illinois Education Association for the last eight months to try to find a compromise on this issue. In our discussions with the proponents of this legislation, it is clear that it is still their goal to mandate that every school district in Illinois offer a breakfast program. Over time, there will be attempts to extend this mandate to all school districts. The Alliance supports promoting the school breakfast program and would support increased marketing of the program, a reduction in the burdensome paperwork that accompanies participation, and enactment of incentives to participate.
Mandated participation is strongly opposed.
The proponents of the legislation refer to the implementation costs of the proposal only as it pertains to the cost of the food. The committee chairman has asked Superintendent McGee to appear before the committee again next week. The intent is to allow committee members to look over the ISBE proposal in greater detail before asking additional questions of the Superintendent. If you have not yet sent your written comments to the ICC opposing this rulemaking, you still have time. Please do so soon.