Parents and SEIU members rally in support of breakfast in the classroom

Listen to the full audio story

Download the MP3

We have all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The Breakfast in the Classroom program feeds nearly 200,000 students, but the LAUSD school board may vote to eliminate the program.

Members of the Service Employees International Union, the union that represents cafeteria workers, gathered Tuesday outside of Hooper Elementary School on Hooper and East 52nd Street in South LA. They were joined by parents who were on their way to drop their kids off at school, holding signs and banging on drums to raise awareness for breakfast in the classroom.

 “We ought to give the kids the fuel and the brain power to be able to fully concentrate,” said Courtni Pugh, Executive Director of SEIU local 99.

The SEIU hopes the school board will vote to continue the program, which provides free food for LAUSD students who may otherwise not eat breakfast.

Delilah, a Hooper Elementary School student who receives breakfast every morning under the program, explained why she likes it.

“Because it’s healthy,” Delilah said.

Dr. Roger Clemens is a nutrition expert with over 40 years of research on nutrition. He agrees with Delilah on the benefits of the program.

“Not only does breakfast provide improved academic performance, we know that in fact it provides social ability, better nutrition, and improved attitude toward people,” Clemens said.

The United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) union agrees students should receive breakfast, but believes there are serious problems with the program.

“There has been an increase in sanitation issues, bugs, sloppy classrooms and the other thing is the impact it’s having on instructional times,” UTLA Communications Director Suzanne Spurgeon said. “And we are looking for solutions to those issues going forward.”

In addition to issuing a statement, UTLA has also sent out photos showing moldy food that they say teachers have found.

The school board is set to vote on the program May 14th. The SEIU is worried that if the program is cut almost 1,000 school cafeteria workers will be laid off.  But the L.A. Times reports that a majority of school board members are expected to vote to keep the program. 

Parents and SEIU members are planning to rally again at Hoover Elementary school on Wednesday and Shenandoah Elementary on Thursday.