LANSING – When Frank Accavitti III was in first grade at Bellview Elementary in Eastpointe, he checked the lunch calendar every morning, hoping for pizza day.

His mother gave him a sealed envelope with the correct lunch money, or a brown bag with a turkey sandwich and a Hi-C Ecto Cooler juice box.

Accavitti had options – from cheeseburgers to pasta and breadsticks.  At Oakwood Middle School in Eastpointe, he bought lunch every day and continued to do so at East Detroit High School.

Now an English major in the secondary education program at Michigan State University, Accavitti considers nutrition an important factor in his school career – and in his future teaching career.

“Growing up, I didn’t have to worry about food,” Accavitti said. “I only had to worry about my school work.”

Michigan’s Department of Education agrees, and is looking for ways to make sure all students are getting well-balanced meals, especially after school.

The department is looking for community sponsors to run after-school snack and supper programs for at-risk children.  The programs would be paid for by federal funds, according to the department.

To qualify, a school must have 50 percent or more students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals and must offer after-school activities during the school year.

Jodie Samp, coordinator of community services and school relations for Warren Consolidated Schools, said her district offers many opportunities for students to get free or discounted meals but doesn’t participate in the state program.

“If kids are hungry or don’t have the resources, we need a holistic approach to nutrition,” Samp said. “Without a doubt, we’d be interested in participating in a program like the one offered (by the Education Department).”

Samp said Warren has eight Title 1 schools, meaning a large percentage of the student population is considered at-risk or falling behind.

“Most of those schools have a breakfast option,” Samp said.

So far, Detroit Public Schools sponsor 34 sites for after-school meals and activities, and the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan in Flint has 13 sites.

Other such sites are located in Kent County, Oakland County, Muskegon and Marquette.

Karen Schulz, a communications consultant with the Michigan Education Association, said almost all districts would benefit from the program.

“Practically every district is going to have some students who qualify for a free or reduced-price lunch,” Schulz said. “The entire community would benefit from after school programs.”

There aren’t yet sponsors in Macomb County, according to the Department of Education, but the program is expected to grow.

Echoing his son’s interest in nutrition, Rep. Frank Accavitti Jr. D-Eastpointe sponsored his first House bill in 2003 regarding school food.

The bill, which did not pass, would have prohibited certain sugary beverages from being sold in school cafeterias.