(Buffalo News) Buffalo Public Schools serves a growing population of about 5,000 Muslim students, many of whom follow strict, religious dietary guidelines.
Some of them bring their own food to school, but if they don’t, they’re not eating all day long, say members and leaders of the local Muslim community.
That is why the district and some Common Council members with sizable Islamic populations are working to start a pilot program to make halal-certified meals a lunch option in some schools by the fall.
In doing so, the school district will be more inclusive of Muslim children during school lunch periods, a time when students often connect and build friendships. And it could help improve academic performance as children learn better when they are not hungry, supporters say.
