How Will Obama's Stimulus Plan Impact Public Schools and Low Income Families?

If your family is currently facing financial difficulties, your children may be eligible for free or reduced-cost meals at school. In today's soft economy, a rising number of students can qualify for food assistance - which is particularly important to providing nutrition that will promote optimal learning.

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted initiative in the United States that provides nutritious and affordable meals to school children. It was established in 1946 and is administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The primary goal of the National School Lunch Program is to ensure that all students have access to healthy meals during the school day. The program aims to promote the overall well-being and academic performance of children by providing them with balanced and nutritious food options.

Under the NSLP, participating schools receive cash subsidies and food commodities from the USDA to offer free or reduced-price meals to eligible students. The program is available in public, nonprofit private, and residential child care institutions, including pre-kindergarten and afterschool programs.

The NSLP offers a variety of food choices that meet specific nutritional guidelines. These guidelines are designed to provide a balanced mix of protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products. The meals served through the program are required to meet certain standards for calories, saturated fat, sodium, and other nutrients.

Parents play a crucial role in the National School Lunch Program. They are responsible for submitting an application for their child

While school campuses are home to fights and violence between students, new research has found that dangers exist off-campus as well. A rising number of investigations and reports are beginning to question the safety of public school buses. Considering that 47 percent of public school students use the bus to travel to and from school, many parents are expressing concern about the safety of their local school's bus system.

Are Public School Buses Safe?

In exploring the specific dangers faced by children utilizing the school bus system, the American Public Health Association (APHA) has found increases in violence on school buses, including verbal, physical, emotional, and sexual violence between students. While there are no major data reports on the total incidences of bus violence occurrences, BJC School Outreach conducted a private survey to question students of all ages about their fears and concerns of violence. According to the surveys, school buses are the second most likely location wherein a student may encounter bullying and/or harassment.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states: "The school bus is the safest vehicle on the road—your child is much safer taking a bus to and from school than traveling by car. Although four to six school-age children die each year on school transportation vehicles, that’s less than one percent of all traffic fatalities nationwide. NHTSA believes school buses should be as safe as possible. That’s why our safety standards for school buses are above and beyond those

How well do politics and education mix? From New York to California, residents across the country are concerned that their public schools are being taken over by local mayors. Most controversially, New York City's Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has been confronted by loud opponents, with protesters arguing that Bloomberg is overstepping his boundaries in making major changes in the city's local schools. However, Bloomberg is not the only mayor under the spotlight.

This video looks at the issue of control in our schools.

The Recent Battle: Do Mayors Have Too Much Control?

As the New York Times reveals, there has been an "increasingly acrimonious battle over mayoral control of New York City's public schools." According to reports, Bloomberg took control from the "fractious Board of Eduction" in 2002 to make needed changes to help improve the public schools' test scores and graduation rates. While Bloomberg's intentions seem to have been noble, opponents argue that one mayor alone cannot have such authority and control over 1,500 schools and 1.1 million students. Although the mayoral oversight plan officially expired on June 30^th, Bloomberg still retains the ultimate control over the schools.

As a result, 10 democratic senators held a news conference in July, demanding that Bloomberg make concessions before attempting to enforce any additional educational reforms. The conference became increasingly tense as some of the senators labeled Bloomberg as a "dictator," stating

Although your freshman daughter or son may be intimidated by the looming hallways of high school, there are ways you can help ease their transition. With new schedules, seemingly endless course options, and extracurricular choices, upcoming freshmen need tremendous parental support as they struggle to make major decisions on a new campus.

Freshman Orientation Programs

Most public high schools provide upcoming freshmen with an orientation program. Typically hosted a few weeks before the official start of the school year, orientation programs are designed to review school policies with new students. In addition, the orientation typically allows students to tour the school, obtain their schedules, and ask specific questions regarding their upcoming year. While each public high school or district will offer its own unique agenda, a common example of a freshman orientation event can be reviewed through the Wahoo Public Schools (WPS) program.

Through schools located in the eastern region of Nebraska, freshmen attending a Wahoo Public School can meet teachers, become familiar with their schedules, and ask any and all questions at an extensive orientation event each August. The orientation runs from 5 pm to 8:30 pm, including a potluck dinner, allowing new students to meet and greet their peers while parents learn more about their son or daughter's new school. Best of all, the WPS event even allows freshmen to adhere to a "mini school day schedule," where parents and students can go through the established motions and procedures of a regular class