School Breakfast Program

During an annual teachers’ convention in Wisconsin more than 500 teachers in attendance were surveyed about their opinions of school breakfast.

Ninety four percent (94%) of teachers surveyed (regardless of whether or not their school offered school breakfast) stated that they had observed students coming to school hungry. In addition, 95% of respondents said they are or would be supportive of school breakfast programs in their school. A vast majority of respondents indicated supporting breakfast in the classroom as well.

Teachers who were serving breakfast in the classroom added that they had observed the following since they started serving breakfast in their classroom:

• improved academic performance,
• improved health,
• better behavior.

Furthermore, these same teachers indicated that breakfast in the classroom resulted in little or no loss of instructional time. Lastly, teachers who served breakfast in their classroom reported that their workload did not change as a result of having breakfast and some even reported an improvement in their workload since adopting breakfast in the classroom.

Testimonials from Wisconsin school teachers, principals and other school staff

1. “Our school participates in the Breakfast-on-the-go program that’s set-up in the classroom each morning. I enjoy the program because it is nutritious and convenient. Our morning begins by that month’s breakfast worker getting our crate of breakfast from the cafeteria and distributing them to the classrooms. My students eat their breakfast at their desk and this allows me that much needed engagement time with the students first thing in the morning. We talk about their evening at home or their plans for the holiday or weekend. We listen to Mozart with dimmed lighting and reflect together conversing, sharing and learning for about 20 minutes. I love it! It helps begin our day with a sense of community. The students enjoy it quite a bit and hate it if they miss it if they are late. I use this time as an incentive, by asking late students that want to talk about their day to write what they wanted to discuss in their journals, then maybe discussing it on their free time or the next day. The students nag their parents about being on time in the morning so that they won’t miss this essential time of day for our classroom. Breakfast in the classroom has helped me immensely.” (teacher)
2. “I noticed one of my second grade students consistently arrived late to school. He never arrived before 8:30. Classes at the school start at 8:20. A little later in the year, the school decided to start a breakfast program, which would be served before classes start, from 7:55-8:10. This student now comes for breakfast every day and has not been late to school since the program started.” (teacher)
3. “The breakfast program saves me money as I no longer need to provide morning cereal to special needs students who come to school hungry. It is sad the number of children who come to school hungry, some with hunger from the previous evening. Student learning increases when the stomach is not grumbling ‘hungry‘.” (teacher)
4. “I wanted to let you know that the breakfast program has made a real difference in our school. The most noticeable change is the students’ eagerness to come in from morning recess. They literally rush into their classrooms in the morning so they can get their nourishment. In today’s world, families are rushed to do everything. In most cases parents leave for work before students get on the bus for school. Cereal or a breakfast bar, are all students get, if anything before they come to school. By 8:00 they are hungry. The breakfast we provide allows students to concentrate on learning rather than concentrating on when lunch will be served.” (school district administrator)
5. “The breakfast program offered in our classroom not only provides a healthy and nutritious start of a student’s day, it also provides a pleasant and friendly atmosphere. Our students begin their day with full stomachs, in good moods, ready to tackle a day’s learning.” (teacher)
6. “Our school has a very high population of students in need of free or reduced lunch services. I believe offering a breakfast to our students is a valuable service to our families in financial need. I also believe that, with the increased number of working parents, this is a valuable service regardless of family income. Parents sometimes must leave for work before their children leave for school and are not able to be there to ensure that their children eat breakfast at home. Some children have to get up and get ready for school or the bus very early and are not hungry at this early hour. Having a breakfast available at school enables them to eat when they are more awake and hungry. Our breakfast program offers a variety of “cold” and packaged products. We do not have the staff to offer a hot meal. Our approach does not require much additional staffing hours. Teachers have found instructional activities that students can engage in while they eat so that instructional time is not lost. Bottom line…it’s hard for minds to learn when tummies are empty! In a perfect world, all students would receive a breakfast at home with their families. Our world is far from perfect and for many of our students, the school providing a breakfast makes the difference between satisfied tummies/ready minds and hunger until lunch with little learning!” (principal)
7. “The school breakfast program that we implemented had a very significant impact on the students of our school. Right away I noticed an increase in my students’ attention span. There was also an immediate decrease in the amount of discipline issues dealt with during the morning hours of school. Long term results also included improved progress and positive school attitudes.” (teacher)
8. “In these difficult times of revenue limits and budget cuts, the school breakfast program has lessened our school district’s pain. We are still offering similar breakfast choices to our students, but under the breakfast program, we are now reimbursed for much of the expense. So not only is our school district providing a healthy start to the day for our students, but we’re saving money as well.” (school’s business manager)
9. “Since the Breakfast Program started with the High School students, I have noticed a marked decrease in the number of student coming to my office with stomach aches and headaches, which for the most part were due to not taking the time to have breakfast in the morning, or not being hungry until mid-morning. Before this program started, I had many coming in that I would end up sending to the kitchen for something to eat, and that is all they needed to get on with their day. In talking with the students, I find them looking forward to breakfast time in the morning. I think that this has been a very positive initiative.” (school nurse)
10. “Since we implemented breakfast in the Classroom, our absenteeism rate has dropped by 70%! Having students in school on a consistent basis contributes to their academic success.” (guidance counselor)