Abbey Thompson

Manning 4th
December 9, 2016

Good evening, Board Members! I am here today to ask you when is it that our district

will address the less than 4 million children who participated in summer lunch programs of the

21.7 million who receive reduced or free lunch during the school year? While we cannot

necessarily control our students' lives outside of the classroom, we must take the responsibility of

helping in all possible ways that we can inside the walls of our school buildings. Ultimately,

schools should take precautionary efforts to provide additional nutritional services outside of

school hours for students receiving reduced or free lunch benefits.

Essentially, it has been found that students who are not meeting guidelines for nutritional

needs suffer academically. According to The Thirty Hour Famine organization of World Vision,

"Hunger hinders our ability to focus and study. Children who experience hunger early on are

more likely to perform poorly academically, repeat a grade and/or require special assistance

while in school" (World Vision). This conclusion tells us that underfed children can have gaps in

their academic careers from so early on that if we do not resolve this conflict at the source, these

academic setbacks can and will be more difficult to overcome with time. Additionally, it has been

reported in an article by Ketki Angre, a "study found that at eight years old, children suffering

from chronic malnutrition are 19 percent more likely to find it difficult to read simple sentences

like 'I like dogs' or 'The sun is hot.'...Stunted children are 12.5 percent more likely to make a

mistake writing a simple sentence and are seven percent more likely to make mistakes while

responding to simple math sums like eight minus three" (NDTV). Clearly again, we can

determine that there is a direct correlation between students who are burdened financially and

struggling nutritionally, for they will likely suffer academically. Ultimately, we cannot compare
students who are not receiving proper nutritional supplements to students with the advantage of

parents who can provide for all needs whether basic or substantial. We have a chance to change

these poor nutrition rates by providing food to children who are hungry when they come to

school each day.

To continue, schools expect students to be well-rounded in most aspects; nonetheless,

these expectations continuously fail to be met due to hunger's detrimental and overwhelming

effect on overarching health. Karratti notes in an online article from Livestrong, "A study

published in the New England Journal of Medicine by doctors H. Peter Chase and Harold P.

Martin measured children who were hospitalized for undernutrition during their first year of life.

The doctors found that these children were consistently smaller than children who had not

experienced undernutrition, even three and four years later. At the other end of the spectrum, the

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests that poor nutrition in the form of overfeeding can

contribute to weight issues later in a child's life" (Karratti). A child's physical health must be

prioritized during early childhood and adolescence to ensure a lifetime of productivity and well-

being. Dr. David E. Barrett, a Harvard Medical School psychologist, and Dr. Marian Radke-

Yarrow, a National Institutes of Health child development psychologist, conducted behavioral

assessments on groups of children 6 to 8 years old. The results indicated that the students studied

"who had poor nutrition during the critical two-year period after birth appeared withdrawn, less

active and were less helpful than their well-nourished counterparts" (Karratti). The whole

premise of school is to prepare us with the skills needed to interact and relate with a variety of

individuals in varied circumstances and social situations. Ultimately, adulthood is too late to

reverse the ill effects of an unhealthy childhood due to lack of nutrition.

 Despite those of you who are perhaps frugal with budgetary constraints, the issue at hand

is greatly valuable in terms of spending. According to the Kentucky Association of Food Banks,

"1 in 5 of Kentucky children lack consistent access to enough food for a healthy, active lifestyle"

(KAFB). Taking the opportunity to provide for these students is not satisfying a minority but

providing for a substantial amount. Additionally, the organization also noted that school

breakfast programs alone aid in the reduction of absenteeism and tardiness (KAFB). This is a

point worthy of consideration given the fact that a public school's budget directly correlates with

attendance. Lastly, the group found that 30 percent of public school students identify State-

Sponsored-Meal-Services as their only chance to eat (KAFB). All of these worrisome numbers

will hopefully convince many of you that the benefits of school meal services far outweigh the

price tag of ensuring that hungry children are fed at school and ready to learn at a high degree

each day.

Clearly, Members of the Board of Education, the nutritional needs of our children must

be a focal point of our district's mission. Our district advocacy can serve as a pioneer to other

areas who are suffering even more than ourselves by leading the charge on eliminating hunger in

our schools. The benefits of feeding and nourishing our youth are not only helping our students

now through their physical health and mental ability, but also by promoting a future free of the

burdens that hunger can create. No child should ever feel threatened while at school. Hunger is a

true threat that if left unmanaged can create irreversible learning deficits for the innocent

children who may simply lack the financial advantages of their peers. Thank you, ladies and

gentlemen, for your time and for your consideration.

 Works Cited

Angre, Ketki. "How Malnutrition Impacts Learning." NDTV.com. N.p., 29 May 2013. Web. 13

Dec. 2016.

"Hunger in Kentucky | KAFB." Hunger in Kentucky | KAFB. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.

Karratti, Dakota. "How Poor Nutrition Affects Child Development." LIVESTRONG.COM. Leaf

Group, 24 Apr. 2015. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.

World Vision. "Thirty Hour Famine: Nutrition and Early Brain Development." Urban Child

Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2016.