EL MONTE, Calif. – It's hard to learn on an empty stomach.

A school district in El Monte has implemented a national program that ensures students are fed as soon as they sit down at their desk.

Breakfast After the Bell is a No Kid Hungry program that provides free breakfast to each student in the classroom after the bell rings. Every school in the El Monte City School District has the program.

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“It’s really nice having food for free and to know it’s here waiting for us to eat,” said fourth-grader Isobel Uribe.

Her teacher Juan Flores doesn’t have to wonder whether his students are fed, and ready to learn. It can be a concern in a district where 92 percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and may not have a lot of food at home.

But Mr. Flores watches his students each every day.

“Energy-wise I mean if you’re not eating, what would happen? You start getting headaches, you get fatigued,” Flores said. “There is no such thing. The kids are well, they have energy, they have what they need to get through the day as well.”

Many schools offer breakfast before the day begins, but getting to school on time to eat can be a challenge for many families.

According to No Kid Hungry, over 22 million kids get a free or reduced-price school lunch on an average school day, yet only 12 million of those kids get free or reduced-price school breakfast.

Isobel’s parents say it’s hard enough to get her and her brother ready and to school on time each morning. Now they have one less thing on their plate.

“Parents aren’t able to make breakfast for them in the morning, they are either rushing to work themselves or have other people take their kids to school and don’t even know if their kids are having nutrition in the morning,” Carlos Uribe said. “So if they can make it in the morning before the bell rings, they’ll be ok.”

Some students do eat before they get to school, so they aren’t hungry. When that happens, they return the unopened items to be used another day.

Isobel likes having breakfast at school. She knows not every student does.

“I feel privileged because maybe some schools don’t have the food to eat and sometimes they have to pay for the food or they have to bring it from home,” said Isobel.