Board gives big cash boost to breakfast program

The Halton District School Board has made a sizable donation to a student snack-andbreakfast program through its fundraising arm. Education Director Wayne Joudrie said a $14,461 donation was made to Halton Food For Thought via the Halton Learning Foundation. The money came from unused portions of the expense accounts for the board's 11 trustees. Under the Education Act, trustees are allowed to claim up to $5,000 annually in expenses for items like cellphones, palm pilots, mileage, conferences and office supplies. The Halton board has a policy that when the term of a school board ends any excess funds in the expense accounts are allocated to a reserve account for trustee professional development. Trustees then determine how the reserve money is to be used. After arriving at a final figure of $34,461 in unused expenses at the end of the last threeyear board term and after taking into account board policy that a minimum $20,000 must be left for professional development, the nearly $15,000 remaining money was earmarked for Halton Food For Thought. The foundation is an alliance of community leaders and staff who are committed to raising funds and seeking resources, beyond basic provincial funding, to enrich the learning opportunities for students of the Halton District School Board. Halton Food For Thought promotes the belief there is a connection between healthy food choices and improved learning. Regardless of income level any student can participate in the program. Halton currently runs 46 nutrition programs with half offered through the school system and the other half through the Oakville YMCA. The programs serve more than 8,000 students and involve approximately 300 volunteers.