Hunger experts say a new Department of Education policy could make a big difference for the city's neediest children. But as of now, many parents — and teachers — are not on-board. NY1's Education Reporter Lindsey Christ has the story.

At many elementary schools across the city this year, students eat the first meal of the day at their desks.

After years of pressure from hunger advocates and lawmakers, Mayor Bill de Blasio has said all elementary schools will serve "breakfast in the classroom" by 2017.

But Wednesday, School Chancellor Carmen Fariña acknowledged the program has had, "a little bit of a rocky start."

"The issues have been that in some schools parents really do not want the breakfast in the classroom," Fariña said. "They feel their students should have breakfast before they leave the home. It varies from school to school. It's been a very interesting phenomenon."

While city schools have offered free breakfast in cafeterias since 2003, students haven't been eating it.

In terms of school breakfast participation, New York came in dead last in a recent ranking of 73 cities across the country.

"About a third of the children who qualify for free or reduced price lunch actually eat breakfast in our schools," said City Council Member Stephen Levin of Brooklyn.

The new program is supposed to correct that, but the rollout hasn't been smooth.

"We've been very frustrated and we've been critical of them," said teachers' union president Michael Mulgrew. "And we'll continue to be critical until we can get this right, because it shouldn't have been an undue burden on the school."

Teachers say it cuts into class time. Principals complain about the mess. Parents argue the food isn't nutritious.

Levin, who pushed the city to adopt the policy, says these problems can be worked out.

"Chicago and Los Angeles both did citywide rollouts of breakfast in the classroom, and they both had some hiccups along the way," Levin said.

Now, he says, it's become the new normal routine in those cities.

The teachers union says their members will get on-board if they get adequate support.

"If you work with them the right way and figure it out, they'll get it done," Mulgrew said. "But just walking in and saying, 'You must do this,' didn't work out."

Fariña says the education department is making adjustments, but remains committed to getting the program in every elementary school soon.