New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
While Massachusetts already requires high-poverty schools to provide breakfast to eligible students, that has left those kids who show up late to school late without a meal.
On Tuesday, Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill that will help high-poverty schools serve breakfast after the start of the school day – something that could potentially provide breakfast to 150,000 students in approximately 600 schools. Massachusetts Sen. Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett), and State Reps. Andy Vargas (D-Lawrence) and Aaron Vega (D-Holyoke) filed the bills that became the Breakfast After the Bell law.
This means that starting in 2022, any school where at least 60% of the students are eligible for free or reduced meals must also offer breakfast after the bell with the option to pick up the meal later in the day and even eat it in class.
The ability to have breakfast before the school day starts is said to not only improve a child’s health but improve attendance, the ability to focus or concentrates which will lead to better academic achievement.
