Maryland One of Six States Awarded Grant to Expand School Breakfast

BALTIMORE, MD – The Maryland State Department of Education’s (MSDE) Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs (OSCNP) has been awarded a $50,000 grant through the No Kid Hungry School Breakfast Leadership Institute to expand access to school breakfast.

The School Breakfast Program ensures that students receive the nutrition they need to learn and succeed in school. Research has shown that students who eat school breakfast are more likely to perform better on standardized tests, attend class more frequently, and have fewer behavioral issues.

In 2018-2019, 98.6 percent of Maryland schools that served lunch also served breakfast, ranking Maryland in the top ten states for offering school breakfast throughout the country. In addition, 62.1 percent of students who qualify for free and reduced-priced meals participated in the breakfast program. The grant will assist the State to build upon strategies that promote students’ access to school breakfast, as well as reduce childhood hunger.

“Every day we see the connection between good nutrition and academic achievement”, said State Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Karen Salmon. “Maryland is dedicated to making sure that every student has access to a healthy breakfast and that they are better prepared to succeed in the classroom.”

The OSCNP has created a strong team focused on prioritizing and expanding school breakfast programs. This team of six individuals will identify best practices, build partnerships, collaborate with other States, and develop a comprehensive State action plan in order to increase access to school breakfast.

Maryland’s State team consists of individuals from the Governor’s Office for Children, the MSDE, Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Prince George’s County Public Schools, and the National Dairy Association Northeast.

For more information on Maryland’s Breakfast Leadership Institute Grant, please contact Samantha Bader at the MSDE’s Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs at 410-767-0513 or samantha.bader@maryland.gov.

The Maryland State Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are equal opportunity employers and providers.