The Elementary and Secondary Subcommittee continued a free school breakfast bill for another year, referred a child care benefits cliff bill to the Early Childhood and Education Commission, and tabled two other bills — one on home-based child care grants and one requiring schools to offer the SAT — both by 7-0 recorded votes.
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Delegate Bennett Parker and all nine testifying witnesses argued the need for free school breakfast was urgent and immediate, pointing to tens of millions of dollars in school meal debt across Virginia. Chair Delores McQuinn acknowledged there is a significant price tag to the bill, and the motion-maker — whose name is unclear from the transcript — cited the need for additional refinement and the importance of ensuring the program can be sustained in the state budget for the future, resulting in the bill being continued rather than advanced.
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“Children cannot learn if they are hungry. This bill is an investment in their education and would maximize all of the other education investments we're making. School breakfast leads to improved test scores and academic achievement. Teachers also see improved behavior and fewer discipline problems when kids have breakfast. And school breakfast reduces truancy.”
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Sign in to subscribeI AM chairperson Delores McQuinn for elementary and Secondary Subcommittee for Appropriation. And thank you, each of you who are here this afternoon. Hopefully this is going to be a short meeting and we'll be able to move it right along. At this time, we would please ask that the roll be taken. Thank you. Madam Clerk is here. Okay. And so we do have a quorum. And so we're moving forward and looking at. Actually, Zach, the first bill, House Bill 96, that we will take up first. Thank you. And this, my understanding, this has been heard in committee. It was heard in the Education Committee. Education Committee. And so if you'd like to let the patron present. Okay. So, Delegate Bennett Parker. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Thank you, Madam chair. House Bill 96 would provide free breakfast for all Virginia public school students. And it is a bipartisan recommendation of the commission to end hunger. Children cannot learn if they are hungry. This bill is an investment in their education and would maximize all of the other education investments we're making. School breakfast leads to improved test scores and academic achievement. Teachers also see improved behavior and…
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