Illinois school district ends Breakfast in the Classroom program

ELGIN, Ill.—Elgin Area School District U-46 has ended a program that provided additional nutritional support for students eligible for free and reduced meals.

Officials said they had to discontinue the Breakfast in the Classroom pilot program because it was cutting into instructional time and decided against implementing the full program districtwide.

The move prompted members of the Elgin Teachers Association to collect food donations in an effort to supplement the discontinued program and help struggling families within the district. Union members recently collected more than 80 boxes of donations for the Northern Illinois Food Bank -- an effort leaders hope to continue during the summer months and throughout the school year, said Kathy Castle, union president.