HELENA – Gov. Steve Bullock, First Lady Lisa Bullock and the Montana No Kid Hungry program have announced $70,125 in grant funding to benefit school breakfast programs.
Eighteen schools across Montana were awarded Breakfast After the Bell grants on Tuesday to help them implement alternative breakfast options for their students.
“Ensuring that kids are fed and start the school day nourished is one of the most basic and necessary investments we can make for our children and our state’s future,” First Lady Bullock said.
“As a result of the many schools, organizations and individuals who have taken the initiative to address this important issue, we are getting closer to making no kid hungry a reality in our state,” she added.
Breakfast after the Bell was first implemented in the state in 2014.
Educators in the state have praised the programs as a way to address food insecurity and help fight chronic hunger.
Helena School District Food Services Director Robert Worthy said they’ve seen an increase of 79,000 breakfast servings since they first started their programs.
“Obviously we’re making a difference,” said Worthy. “We’re reaching kids and that’s ultimately our goal is to get those kids nutrition so they can have you know breakfast and they can have lunch and hopefully get them through until they get home from school.”
Since Breakfast after the Bell’s inception, more than $400,000 in private grants have been given to 110 Montana schools to implement their own breakfast programs.
Grant recipients are chosen based on the schools’ plan to increase students access to the programs, their level of innovation in making the program work for their unique situation and the level of support/involvement from school staff.
The 18 schools that received breakfast grants this cycle include:
- Riverside Middle School, Billings, $5000
- East Middle School, Butte, $5130
- Sunnyside School, Great Falls, $4432
- Helena High School, Helena, $4000
- Four Georgians Elementary School, Helena, $4700
- Jefferson Elementary School, Helena, $3,500
- Lockwood Middle School, Lockwood, $1300
- Poplar Middle School, Poplar, $4865
- Fred Moodry Middle School, Anaconda, $5000
- Ridge View Elementary School, Belgrade, $3767
- Chief Joseph Middle School, Bozeman, $4857
- Sacajawea Middle School, Bozeman, $4857
- Evergreen Jr. High School, Evergreen, $1735
- Lewis and Clark Elementary School, Great Falls, $4522
- Laurel Middle School, Laurel, $4800
- Lolo Middle School, Lolo, $2700
- Stevensville K-6 School, Stevensville, $2960
- Superior Elementary, Superior, $2000
Click here for more information about Montana No Kid Hungry and the other programs.
-John Riley reporting for MTN News
