HB 1153

T o the extent federal funds are available for free or reduced price meals , present law generally requires each school board to establish : (1) A school lunch program in every school under its jurisdiction; and (2) A school breakfast program in the following schools based on the cumulative analysis of school lunch participation for t he month of April of the preceding school year: (A) Every school that contains kindergarten through grade eight in which 25% or more of the students participated in the school lunch program at a free or reduced price; and (B) In every school that does not contain a kindergarten through grade eight in which 40% or more of the students participated in the school lunch program at a free or reduced price. Present law provides a process, through administrative rules, by which a local school board may waiv e the requirement to create a school breakfast program pursuant to (2) by making certain findings concerning disruption to the school schedule, low participation, or unavailable or inadequate cost reimbursement. Present law requires that e ach LEA operatin g a school breakfast program pursuant to (2) be reimbursed by the state for any additional expenses to that LEA that are incurred as a result of implementation of the school breakfast program . Under present law, the continuation of the school breakfast pr ogram is contingent on federal funding. This bill replaces present law with a requirement that e ach local board of education establish a school lunch program and a school breakfast program that provides a free lunch and breakfast to each student enrolled in a school under the board's jurisdiction who is eligible for free or reduced-price meals, according to rules established by the state board of education . Subject to available funding, this bill requires the state to reimburse each LEA the cost of provi ding a free breakfast and lunch served to each student enrolled in the LEA who is eligible for reduced price meals after all federal funds available have been applied.