Section 7-704 - Maryland Meals for Achievement In-Classroom Breakfast Program. - Maryland Statutes

§ 7-704. Maryland Meals for Achievement In-Classroom Breakfast Program.
 

(a)  "Program" defined.- In this section, "Program" means the Maryland Meals for Achievement In-Classroom Breakfast Program. 

(b)  Established.-  

(1) There is a school breakfast program in the State, known as the Maryland Meals for Achievement In-Classroom Breakfast Program. 

(2) The Program is a joint effort of the Department and the county boards or sponsoring agencies for eligible nonpublic schools. 

(c)  Purpose.-  

(1) The purpose of the Program is to provide funding for a school that makes an in-classroom breakfast available to all students in the school. 

(2) The funding is intended to complement the funding received by a school from the federal government for a school breakfast program. 

(d)  Application; participation.- The Department shall: 

(1) Develop an application form for a school that desires to participate in the Program; 

(2) Ensure that the schools that participate in the Program represent geographic and socioeconomic balance statewide; 

(3) Ensure that a school that participates in the Program is a school at which at least 40% of the registered students are eligible for the federal free or reduced price meal program; 

(4) Select schools to participate in the Program, ensuring that an annual evaluation of the Program is conducted by the Department; 

(5) Annually review and set the meal reimbursement rate for schools that participate in the Program to complement the federal meal reimbursement rate determined under § 7-703 of this subtitle; and 

(6) Disburse the Program funds to the county board or the sponsoring agency. 

(e)  Sponsoring agency.- A county board or a sponsoring agency for an eligible nonpublic school shall: 

(1) Apply to the Department for funds for schools within the jurisdiction of the board or for schools that are under the sponsoring agency that: 

(i) Are eligible to participate in the Program; and 

(ii) Apply to the board or to the sponsoring agency to participate in the Program; and 

(2) Submit an annual report to the Department on the Program, including the manner in which the funds have been expended. 

(f)  Rules for serving student participants.- A school that participates in the Program shall: 

(1) Implement an in-classroom breakfast program in which all students in the school may participate regardless of family income; 

(2) Serve a breakfast that meets the guidelines of the Department and the nutritional standards of the United States Department of Agriculture for schools that participate in the federal school breakfast program; 

(3) Serve the breakfast in the classroom upon the arrival of students to the school; 

(4) Collect the data that the county board or the sponsoring agency and the Department require from participants in the Program; and 

(5) Submit an annual report to the county board or the sponsoring agency. 

(g)  Negotiating terms of participation.- The employee organization that is the exclusive representative of the certificated public school employees of a county board and the employee organization that is the exclusive representative of the noncertificated employees of a county board and the county board shall negotiate the terms of the participation of the employees in the Program. 
 

[1999, chs. 384, 385; 2002, ch. 427; 2007, ch. 641.]