The San Bernardino City Unified School District is will offer a free, nutritious breakfast and lunch to every student every school day for the 2019–2020 school year.

Multiple studies have shown that when children experience hunger, it can have serious and lasting impacts on their physical and intellectual growth. According to Feeding America, children from homes that lack consistent access to food are more likely to develop language, motor skill, and behavioral impairments.

The federal government established the National School Lunch Program in 1946 to provide students with a nutritious lunch to increase their potential to do well in school. The meal program has expanded over the years to provide more free- and reduced-price meals, including breakfast, to socioeconomically disadvantaged students.

For many years, SBCUSD has provided free meals to students who qualified for free or reduced-price meals. Generally, students’ families had to apply and prove that they qualified under income guidelines. This year all students at every SBCUSD kindergarten–12th-grade campus are eligible to receive free breakfast and free lunch.

“We are so proud to be able to offer this to our students and their families,” said Nutrition Services Director Adriane Robles. “We know that the majority of our students are socioeconomically disadvantaged, and their families may struggle on a daily basis with hunger. By providing two free meals each school day to all students, we not only help support students’ physical and academic development, we relieve some of the financial and emotional stress these families are under.”