Ohio
Ohio schools serve more breakfasts in 2023-2024, state report shows
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio schools recorded a slight uptick in the number of breakfast meals served to students last school year, though a recent state report says they aren’t serving as much as they did during the pandemic.
The report shows that 3,253 Ohio public, private and charter schools served an average of 452,644 breakfasts a day to students during the 2023-2024 school year, an increase from the previous year.
For comparison, during the 2022-2023 school year, 423,072 breakfasts were served on an average day at 3,257 schools.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce school breakfast report said that schools offered no-cost breakfasts during the pandemic to all students under the Seamless Summer Option, and the average number of meals served was higher than normal. The pandemic meal programs ended at the start of the 2022-2023 school year.
In the 2021-2022 school year, 3,249 schools served kids 541,710 breakfasts.
The old adage that breakfast is the most important meal of the day may still be true: Research shows that the School Breakfast Program can help students perform better in class and become more willing to participate and make better behavior choices because they’re not hungry.
For families on tight morning schedules or tight budgets, the program has been shown to provide children diets that meet or exceed standards for important vitamins and minerals compared with those who don’t eat school breakfast or eat it at home.
The report comes as anti-hunger advocates ask state lawmakers, who are working on the two-year state operations budget, to make school meals free for everyone.
A bipartisan bill in the Ohio Senate, sponsored by Sens. Louis “Bill” Blessing, a Cincinnati- area Republican, and Kent Smith, a Euclid Democrat, would make breakfast and lunch free for all students.
Separate data published by DEW shows that a slight majority of students qualified for free or reduced meals: 56.4% in 2023-2024 and 52.1% in 2022-2023.
Schools are allowed to set their own breakfast prices, as there is no standardized rate, said Lacey Snoke, a spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture pays between 39 cents to $2.84 a breakfast, depending on the child’s family income level. The state pays 30 cents for every breakfast, Snoke said.
Schools must operate self-sustained operations, using the state and federal reimbursements, Snoke said.
“If they don’t cover their costs, then the school must allocate funds from other sources to cover the costs,” she said.
So what does a school breakfast look like? It can be a full cup of fruit or vegetables, a small carton of milk and an item containing grains and protein, such as a breakfast sandwich.
Breakfast menus may offer items such as eggs, nuts, or meats to pair with whole-grain option, according to the USDA.
All public, charter and private schools can choose to participate in the School Breakfast Program, Snoke said.
“As it is a federal program, all participating schools (including nonpublic) follow the same rules and requirements,” she said.
Many preschools, child care centers and after-school programs offer meals and snacks, including breakfast, through the Child and Adult Care Food Program, which Ohio DEW administers for the USDA. The income criteria are the same but the reimbursement rates are slightly different, Snoke said.
Most schools serve breakfast in the cafeteria before the school day begins. Some serve it in the classroom for students to eat before or during their first-class period. Other schools set up boxed or bagged breakfasts in the hallway for students to pick up on their way to class, the report stated.
Laura Hancock covers state government and politics for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — Part of Glenwood Avenue is closed due to a water main break in Youngstown.
Saturday afternoon, water could be seen flowing down Glenwood Avenue near Ravenwood Avenue.
The road is closed between Ravenwood Avenue and Clearmount Drive while crews repair the break.
Dominic O’Brien contributed to this report.
The U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 was a monumental, year-long celebration marking the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Coming in the aftermath of the turbulent 1960s, the political disillusionment of the Watergate scandal and President Richard Nixon’s resignation in 1974, and the capture of Saigon by the North Vietnamese and the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the Bicentennial served as a crucial moment of national healing.
The festivities culminated on the Fourth of July 1976, with spectacular events staged across the country. The most enduring legacy of the celebration in Columbus is Bicentennial Park, located in the Downtown riverfront area along the Scioto River.
Dedicated on July 4, 1976, this 4.7-acre green space was built to permanently commemorate the nation’s 200th birthday. The park’s initial centerpiece was a massive fountain system featuring four circular pools that could shoot water 60 feet into the air.
From May 22 to June 2, 1975, Columbus served as the 11th official stop for the American Freedom Train. This massive, steam-powered rolling museum carried more than 500 priceless historical artifacts – including copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution – across all 48 contiguous states.
The train was displayed at the Defense Construction Supply Center [DCSC] in Whitehall and drew massive crowds of local families. Columbus held a special distinction during the tour: it was one of only three cities nationwide where the “Splendid Spirit” car was included with the train.
Warren Motts, the founding director of Motts Military Museum in Groveport, traveled with the train for its entire 25,000-mile journey, capturing the official photos that documented this historic event.
Beyond these massive metropolitan events, the true spirit of the Bicentennial thrived at the grassroots level. The American Revolution Bicentennial Administration (ARBA) encouraged local communities to form their own committees, leading to thousands of unique municipal projects.
Towns across the nation hosted local parades, commissioned historical murals, dedicated new parks, and sealed time capsules intended for the tricentennial in 2076.
It also triggered a resurgence of interest in local history and genealogy, as everyday citizens sought to trace their own roots back to the nation’s founding eras.
The civic energy and patriotism generated by the 1976 celebrations also helped pave the way for other major local traditions. Just a few years later, in 1981, Columbus launched its annual Red, White & Boom! celebration, which grew into the largest Independence Day fireworks display in the Midwest—a tradition deeply rooted in the community pride revived during the Bicentennial era.
Get involved in America 250 at your library this year! Visit columbulibrary.org for a full list of America 250 events.
Angela O’Neal is Local History & Genealogy Manager with the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
NORTHEAST OHIO (WOIO) – Thousands are without power Friday after severe weather sweeps across Northeast Ohio counties, creating weather-related damage.
FirstEnergy reports more than 71,000 in Northeast Ohio are without power Friday night.
More than 22,000 are without power in Cuyahoga County.
The utility company reports that more than 700 are without power in Erie County.
Lake County reports over 1,000 outages, and Portage has over 4,000 outages.
Trumbull County is experiencing over 1,000, and Ashtabula reports over 3,000.
Lorain County is experiencing more than 3,000 reported outages, and Geauga County has more than 7,000.
Medina County reported more than 1,000.
Chardon fire crews field wave of storm calls
The Chardon Fire Department shared the calls it responded to concerning storm damage Friday evening.
Fire crews said they responded to a tree in a house at 127 Burlington Oval.
The department said a tree fell on a gas line, causing a gas leak at 408 Charleston Avenue.
Wires were reported down on South Claridon Road, closing State Route 44 near South Street.
Wires were reported down on a house near Irma and South Hambden.
Fire crews said a tree was reported down on a home at 306 North Hambden.
The department also said alarms went off at UH Geauga Hospital.
Downed wires also closed Auburn and Twing roads.
The department said power was out on the south side of Chardon City.
Another tree was reported to have fallen into a house at 109 Burlington Oval, but no injuries were reported.
Fire crews said an incident involving a tree in a house and electric lines was reported at 11396 Aquilla Road, but no injuries were reported.
Fallen tree takes out power line in Independence
The city of Independence said a downed tree took out a live power line on lower Stone Road.
The city asked the public to avoid the area because of the danger posed by live wires.
The city said FirstEnergy had been notified and both police and firefighters were on scene.
Downed wires prompt closures across Hambden
The Hambden Fire Department said Friday night it was dealing with multiple storm-related incidents.
Crews said Claridon Troy Road was closed between Route 608 and Chardon Windsor Road because of downed poles and wires.
Kenny Drive was closed south of Leaders Mobile Home Park because of downed wires across the road, according to fire crews.
Multiple wires were reported down on Route 6 near Cutts and Grant Street along the north side of the road.
The department said the public should use caution in areas with downed wires and poles and should not attempt to move any of the wires.
Anyone with an electrical emergency or who encounters downed wires is asked to call 9-1-1.
Hambden Fire said people should not call 9-1-1 to report an outage.
The department said FirstEnergy is aware of these issues and is working to fix them.
Check FirstEnergy’s, AEP’s, and Cleveland Public Power’s websites for the latest outage numbers.
These outages come after severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for multiple Northeast Ohio counties this evening and were extended until 10:45 p.m.
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