Universal Free Breakfast in Wyandotte Schools Canceled—For Now

It will be breakfast as usual when school starts on Sept. 6, despite an earlier decision by officials to offer a universal free breakfast at all schools this fall.

The schools will still offer breakfast before school in the same way it’s been for the last few years, Superintendent Carla Harting said, but the universal free breakfast is on hold for now due to financial concerns.

The district has some federal funding for the universal free program, but “it’s not sustainable for more than several years,” Harting said.

“It’s a good program," Harting said. "I just want to make sure we have enough money. I don’t want something that kids come to depend on, and then have to pull it back. We haven’t ruled it out, but we’re going to look at it and make sure we have the correct numbers.”

, as in years past, still will offer free breakfast to all students. The other district schools offer breakfast either free or at a reduced cost of 30 cents a day to qualified students, and for a regular cost of $1.25 to other students. Kids can opt out of breakfast and eat at home before school, of course.

That option will be the choice of Wyandotte mom Tina Hirsch, who said she has concerns about the nutritional value of the breakfast offerings at the schools. For instance, the breakfast “tastries,” similar to Pop Tarts, on the school menu are too sugary to be good nutrition, she said.

“I don’t care how much vitamins they sprinkle on corn syrup, it’s still corn syrup,” she said.

And she doesn’t like the idea of a “grab-and-go” breakfast that kids eat in the classroom.

“They were going to be doing their morning work and having breakfast at their desks,” Hirsch said. “We’re going to be teaching them bad habits.”

She is not against offering free breakfast to children, however. If the schools handed out fresh fruit every morning, she’d be all for it, she said.

Wyandotte mom Tanya Munroe also likes the idea of universal free breakfast for district children, but she’s happy to feed her two boys, Gavin, 9, and Landen, 6, at home in the morning before they go off to school at .

“I’m fortunate enough to be able to be home with them,” Munroe said. “I like to be able to have that time in the morning with them.”

Harting said that she, like Hirsch, cares very much about the nutritional value of school breakfasts and lunches, and will be taking a hard look at what’s offered this year. Improvements—including adding more whole grains and fresh produce—have been under way for a few years already.

More than half the students in the district qualify for free or reduced-cost meals, according to district officials. Educators in all districts are concerned that kids in need may not get breakfast at all unless it’s offered at school.

Michigan state law requires public schools to provide a breakfast program when they have 20 percent or more free or reduced-price eligible students, according to a 2008 Michigan School Breakfast Report by the Center for Civil Justice.

Many studies show that eating breakfast helps children’s ability to learn, stay healthy and behave well in school.

In October, students at Garfield Elementary School who qualify for free or reduced-price meals also will get help from the Blessings in a Backpack program, a charitable effort to give kids nonperishable food to take home for weekend meals. The pilot program at Garfield will start with about 300 students.