‘Hungry kids can’t learn.’ $1.3M in grants to expand school breakfast access across NC

Ciara Lankford
·2 min read
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NORTH CAROLINA (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — More than 40 public school districts and public charter schools across North Carolina will be able to expand access to school breakfast for more than 51,000 students, thanks to $1.3 million in grants, Gov. Cooper announced Tuesday.

The North Carolina Innovative School Breakfast Grants were funded through federal funds directed by Gov. Cooper in October 2023.

Public schools have provided free or reduced-price meals for children and nearly 60 percent of NC public school students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, state officials said.

Nearly 1 in 6 children in NC reportedly live in households without consistent access to food.

Gov. Cooper said the school districts and charter schools receiving grant funds use the federal Community Eligibility Provision to make school meals available to all students at no cost to their families. These districts and charter schools, which represent 258 public schools, were selected through a competitive grant program, state officials explained.

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“We know that hungry kids can’t learn,” Morgan Wittman Gramann, Executive Director of the NC Alliance for Health, said in a written statement. “These grants enable schools to find creative ways to make sure that every child has the nutrition that they need to focus on learning.”

“Our public schools not only provide safe places for children to learn but also healthy meals for students who sometimes face food insecurity at home,” Gov. Cooper said in a released statement. “These grants will help more public schools provide breakfast for children in the classroom so they can start their day ready to learn and be successful.”

Funds will be used to purchase kitchen equipment to increase meal prep capacity and serving equipment to more easily and efficiently distribute meals to students, state officials said.

The selected school districts and charter schools are:

  • Alexander County Schools

  • Arapahoe Charter School

  • Asheboro City Schools

  • Buncombe County Schools

  • Cabarrus County Schools

  • Catawba County Schools

  • Cherokee County Schools

  • Cleveland County Schools

  • Craven County Schools

  • Durham Public Schools

  • Edgecombe County Public Schools

  • Graham County Schools

  • Greene County Public Schools

  • Guilford County Schools

  • Guilford Preparatory Academy Charter School

  • Halifax County Schools

  • Henderson Collegiate

  • Henderson County Public Schools

  • Iredell-Statesville Schools

  • Johnston County Public Schools

  • Madison County Schools

  • Mitchell County Schools

  • New Hanover County Schools

  • North East Carolina Prep School

  • Pamlico County Schools

  • Pender County Schools

  • Polk County Schools

  • Robeson County Schools

  • Rockingham County Schools

  • Rowan-Salisbury Schools

  • Rutherford County Schools

  • Sampson County Schools

  • Surry County Schools

  • Swain County Schools

  • Transylvania County Schools

  • Tyrrell County Schools

  • Union County Public Schools

  • Wake County Public School System

  • Washington County Schools

  • Wilkes County Schools

  • Wilson County Schools

  • Yadkin County Schools

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