A. By July 1, 1994, upon the appropriation and authorization of federal funds for the reimbursement of school breakfast programs, each school board shall establish a school breakfast program in any public school in which twenty-five percent or more of enrolled school-age children were approved eligible to receive free or reduced price meals in the federally funded lunch program during the previous school year.

B. The Board of Education shall promulgate regulations for the implementation of the program. Such regulations shall include, but not be limited to, criteria for eligibility and exemptions; a reporting system for the compilation and analysis of information concerning the number and socioeconomic characteristics of participating school-age children; standards for food services; program evaluation; the investigation of complaints; an appeals process; notification of parents and guardians of the availability of the school breakfast program; and provision to teachers, children, and their parents or guardians of nutrition information describing the relationship between good nutrition, learning, and health.

C. Each school board subject to the provisions of this section shall develop and implement a plan to ensure compliance with the provisions of subsection A and submit the plan to the Department of Education no later than thirty days prior to the commencement of the program. Beginning by June 30, 1995, and thereafter annually, each school board shall report such information as required in subsection B to the Department of Education on such forms and in the manner to be prescribed by the Board. In the event that federal funding for school breakfast programs is reduced or eliminated, a school board may support the program with such state or local funds as may be appropriated for such purposes.

History

1993, c. 698.