Budget to include 20% boost for school nutrition program
Thursday’s provincial budget will include a 20-per-cent boost in funding for a school nutrition program that feeds more than 30,000 Alberta students each day, Education Minister Adriana Lagrange said.
She also hopes schools will be able to use an additional $3 million in provincial funding this school year to create more partnerships with community agencies to expand school breakfast and lunch programs.
“What really impacted me was going around to the school divisions and to the schools, specifically, and hearing their stories on how impactful the program has been to them and to their students, especially in some of the disadvantaged areas,” Lagrange said.
The former NDP government started the program as a $3.5-million pilot project in 2016. It has expanded each year since, and the $15.5-million program was this year expected to feed one nutritious meal a day to 33,000 students across Alberta.
There are about 727,000 K-12 students enrolled in Alberta schools.
Since they became the official opposition in the spring election, NDP MLAS have pushed the United Conservative Party government to continue the program. In September, Lagrange said it would continue with at least the same level of funding.
NDP education critic Sarah Hoffman said Tuesday she’s glad to hear government is putting more money into one of the signature programs created by her party.
However, it’s unfair to ask corporations or charitable organizations to pick up some of the cost of feeding children who arrive at school hungry, she said.
When the government opted to cut corporate taxes, it eliminated revenue that could have been used to pay for more robust social supports, she said.
“I think the job of the government is to look after the vulnerable,” Hoffman said.
Edmonton school board leaders said Tuesday they were intrigued to hear more details of the program’s expansion.
Laura Thibert, chairwoman of Edmonton Catholic, said she hoped it would allow the division to expand meal programs to more schools in need.
Edmonton public chairwoman Trisha Estabrooks called the nutrition program an “essential service” for students and families at many schools.
“We know there’s a connection between nutrition and a student’s ability to learn at school,” she said.
A report to the Edmonton public school board last month said research from inside and outside the division found that students at schools with a universal breakfast program experienced fewer discipline problems, improved behaviour, better attendance and learning, and improved psychosocial well-being.
The report also said grassroots efforts between community groups and schools alone aren’t robust enough to sustain nutrition programs that improve attendance and academic performance. The provincial funding allowed schools to install kitchen equipment and train and hire workers to plan nutritious meals and safely handle food.
Lagrange said she hopes the additional money will begin flowing to schools by January. She didn’t know Tuesday how many more students or schools would be included in the program’s expansion.
“Hopefully it’ll make a big difference — continue to make a difference,” Lagrange said. “I wish I had enough to feed everyone.”