Evening star., 1941-11-23
". P. A. School Lunch
Program Seen as Bar
To 0ne-Cent Milk
Committee Unable to
Meet Requirements
Of U. S. Authorities

Chairman Robert L. Haycock of
the Board of Education's Special
Milk Advisory Committee. will re-
port to the board December 3 on
the efforts of his group to meet
Surplus Marketing Administration
requirements for an Agriculture De-
partment sponsored penny milk
program for needy District school
children.
Unless there are additional devel-
opments. MI Haycock will not be
able to hold out concrete hope of
putting the suggested program
which would make milk available
to undernourished children at cost
of penny half-pint TO the Dis
trict government-into effect within
the near future.
Briefly. the situation developed as
follows:
When the District applied for the
pIOltIl. II " dS duNIStd tlldN olI lllC
basis of milk consumption in the
schools at that time. an increase of
270 per cent in consumption would
be necessary before such a program
could be approved to prevent
financial loss to the MIX producers.
At the same time S. NJ. A. Off
cia'S declared that for 2 school TO
qualify for the program, 60 per cent
OF more of its children must be
from needy families. The proposal
was that if so per cent of the chill
dren were. needy. not only they but
the entire school would get the milk
to prevent segregation of needy
children.
Hot Lunches Involved.
Present milk consumption in the
schools is chiefly through the free
hot lunches provided under w. P.
A. project and through various
parent teacher programs.
Seeking eligible schools for the
program. the advisory committee
found 43 which might meet the
definition of S NJ. A. All but 10
of these we're colored. In addition
there were IA parochial schools and
seven settlement houses anxious to
participate.
Because the free lunches are
served to needy children. it was
found that many of the children
in the schools which would meet
S. M. A. definition were already re-
ceivlng milk.
The problem then became how
to increase consumption in these
schools 270 per cent. 1t was decided
this percentage could be met by
giving the penny half pints to the
children of these selected schools
at the mid-morning recess. In this
way all the children would get the
milk at this time and those also
getting the free lunch would get
another half pint with their meals
at noon.
Yesterday the committee pre-
sented to Leon J. Steck of S. NJ. A.
figures on the selected schools
showing that under the proposed
plan. consumption would be in
creased 315.5 per cent over present
use only to be told that under a
standard agreement" form of the
department child would not be
permitted to get more than one
half-pint of subsidized milk a day.
In other words, those children get
ting the milk with their w. P. A.
lunches would not be able to receive
the penny milk
Changed Plan Suggested.
Mr.. Steck, however. said he was
in no position to pass final judg-
ment on the program. but Mrs.
Lucian Jordan of the District Con-
gress of Parents and Teachers.
pointed out that the increased con-
sumption in the needy schools was
based on more than one-half pint
per student per day
The S. NJ A. official suggested
that under the lunch program. full
price might be paid for the milk.
thus taking it out of the subsidized
class. Then if an S. M. A. program
were approved. child might be
getting two half-pints day but
only one would be on a subsidized
basis.
Under the program mapped for
the public schools by the committee
some 10000 children would get the
mid morning half-pint against
some 6.700 who now get it with the
lunch or through a PIT. A. pro-
gram. In the IA parochial schools,
nearly 5000 would get it where only
about 1000 now receive it. In the
settlement houses. 3l5 would receive
it against 1876 now being served.
The Districts share of the project
would be paid out of the fund for
sponsors contributions to W. P. A.
projects although this is not strictly
Wy n ,,,orncifinp