FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS

WHEREAS, the AFT is committed to the education of students; and

WHEREAS, it has been proven that proper nutrition is a major factor in student academic success; and

WHEREAS, school lunch and breakfast programs have been instrumental in improving student nutrition; and

WHEREAS, many school food service programs, especially those serving large numbers of low-income children, have come to rely on U.S.D.A. bonus commodities, provided in lieu of funding by the Reagan administration during massive budget cuts in 1981; and

WHEREAS, since 1987, bonus commodities have been reduced from $442 million to $125 million, a decrease of more than $300 million; and $100 million of the current year's $125 million allocation represents just one commodity-butter; and

WHEREAS, on top of the $300 million loss in bonus commodities, the current administration has proposed a child nutrition budget cut of $516.6 million, to be accomplished primarily by increasing the income guidelines for poverty-line students:

RESOLVED, that the AFT urge Congress to offset or mitigate the loss in federal support for school food service programs resulting from the decline in U.S. bonus commodities in schools; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT oppose all child nutrition budget cuts proposed by the Bush administration.