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Meeting Date:
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8/29/2019 - 6:30 PM
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Category:
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Report of the Committee on Accountability, Finance, and Personnel
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Type:
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Action
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Subject:
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4. Action on Resolution 1819R-002 by Director Phillips and Director Baez Regarding Equitable Nutrition Opportunities for All Students
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Strategic Plan Compatibility Statement:
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Attachments
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File Attachment:
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Background:
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At its May 30, 2019 meeting, the Milwaukee Board of School Directors referred Resolution 1819R-002 by Directors Phillip and Baez to the Accountability, Finance and Personnel Committee. Since that time, the Administration has had the opportunity to communicate with the authors of the Resolution to gain additional insight. Based on this, the Administration is providing information regarding current efforts in these areas:
• expanding the extension of breakfast opportunities after the bell;
• expanding breakfast offerings;
• improving food quality; and,
• collecting and using data to positively impact access and communication.
The administration recognizes the important role of meal service, including breakfast and dinner. In February 2019, Food Research & Action Center (FRAC), a national organization working to eradicate domestic hunger, issued the “School Breakfast: Making it Work in Large School Districts”. This report ranks Milwaukee Public Schools as 29th for breakfast participation of students eating lunch. In addition, during the 2018-19, MPS provided after school snacks or dinners at 116 schools.
The administration also recognizes and strives to achieve FRAC’s goal of 70% breakfast participation of students who ate lunch for schools with a Free and Reduced Application Management (FRAM) exceeding 70%. When considering schools with a FRAM exceeding 70%, as indicated in the resolution, MPS has already reached the resolution goal of 70% breakfast participation of the students who ate lunch for the 2018-19 school year.
Even with having achieved the 70% breakfast participation, the administration continues to revise and expand breakfast after the bell options including breakfast in the classroom, food carts, breakfast in the cafeteria as well as a blend of multiple options. The administration’s goal remains to ensure all students have access to breakfast.
The administration is expanding breakfast menus to provide more variety to students such as hot breakfast in the classroom, varied cold breakfast options with less sugar and more protein. To accommodate the expanded breakfast after the bell menu options, the administration has purchased additional freezers and refrigerators for use throughout the district.
The district continues to improve the overall nutritional value of the food it provides to students. This includes a request for proposal (RFP) for breakfast kits with items with lower sugar and cleaner labels.
The Department of Nutrition Services continues to expand communication. This year the Parent/Student Handbook includes notification to parents about the availability of free breakfast and lunch. In addition, DNS provided information to principals at their resource fair this summer. DNS staff works with principals and teachers to provide trainings for launch of breakfast in the classroom, along with ongoing meetings with principals as necessary.
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Fiscal Impact Statement:
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Implementation and Assessment Plan
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Recommendation:
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Your Committee recommends that the Board:
1. Accept the Administration’s recommendation and that the Board direct the Administration to establish, by September 16, 2019, a hotline or other communication method for students to report when they are denied breakfast; and
2. Meet with community members to collect data on the nutrition program , including but not limited to: participation, the type of program provided, a breakdown of choice relative to breakfast options, and a map of the program options be provided in the data provided to the board; and
3. That the information on the nutrition program be brought back to the Board by the October board cycle.
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Approvals:
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Recommended By:
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Signed By:
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Jacqueline M. Mann, Ph.D. - Board Clerk/Chief Officer
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