As students head back to school this year, many are finding school breakfast and lunch available to them at no cost.
While some schools have offered free meals for students for a number of years, the popularity of the federal Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) has significantly increased the number of schools offering no-cost meals. CEP is available for schools that enroll at least 25 percent of students who are eligible for free meals. As of last school year, over half of all school buildings in Ohio now participate in the program. CEP eliminates the requirement for household income applications, easing administrative burdens and ensuring free meals for students to prevent debt. It also reduces the stigma of receiving free meals, making the program a win for schools, students, and their families.
Schools offering no-cost meals to students often need to make initial adjustments to meal-service operations to serve more students. After these adjustments, participation can wane and schools may need to consider alternative delivery models to increase the number of students participating. Last school year, only 38 percent of students eligible for free- and reduced-priced meals participated in school breakfast despite more school buildings offering free school meals.
Growing school breakfast participation can be particularly challenging for a number of reasons. Unlike school lunch, which occurs at midday while all students are in the building, school breakfast participation can be hampered by bus schedules, the length of time breakfast is offered before school starts, and even location of the cafeteria in relation to where students enter the building.
Customizing how breakfast is offered to students can have substantial impacts on participation. For example, serving breakfast outside of the cafeteria or offering multiple breakfast locations within a school meets students where they are and encourages breakfast consumption. Many schools have found creative ways to provide food access, helping drive participation through alternative breakfast models.
After implementing BIC in some of their elementary school buildings last year, Toledo Public Schools reported improvements in student focus, attendance, and academic performance. Students often help by bringing the breakfast cart from the cafeteria to the classroom, properly throwing away trash, wiping off desks, and helping return carts to the cafeteria. By the time lessons start for the day, students have eaten and are ready to learn.
Grab-and-Go Breakfast is another popular option, and one that works well for all grade levels. In this model, breakfast items are made available from a cart or table as students enter the building, or at designated stations throughout the building to provide easy access. Students pick up their food and go to their classrooms or common areas to eat.
Northwood Local Schools has found success with these alternative breakfast models. According to Emilia Bires, director of operations for the district, offering multiple breakfast models has “led to improved student outcomes, including better academic performance, increased attendance, and reduced behavioral issues.”\
Carlisle Local Schools (pictured below) began offering Second Chance Breakfast last year to students in 5th-12th grades. Food Service Director Gail French said the program has been “extremely successful.” Not only has breakfast participation increased 33 percent, but student feedback has also been overwhelmingly positive. In this model, breakfast is offered between the first and second periods of the school day at the middle and high school levels, and during a mid-morning break in the elementary building. Second Chance Breakfast can help overcome the issue of students not wanting to eat early in the morning and offers tardy students the opportunity to eat. Research shows that both chronic absenteeism and tardiness improve by offering breakfast to students.
Increasing participation benefits school districts as well as the students themselves. Districts offering free meals for all students will draw down additional reimbursement by serving more meals, leading to a fiscally balanced food service account.
Lima City Schools has been offering Breakfast in the Classroom and Grab-and-Go Breakfast for over 20 years, and it is one of the top-performing districts in the state when it comes to breakfast participation. Food Service Director Carrie Woodruff said their alternative breakfast models are the “pillars to our financial success,” and that success is due to strong administrative support. The commitment to ensuring students receive breakfast continues even on days with two-hour delays.
Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) is a popular choice, especially for elementary students. As the name implies, breakfast is brought directly to the classroom and served during other start-of-the-school-day activities, such as taking attendance, morning announcements, and more. Schools offering BIC in Ohio experience some of the highest breakfast participation rates — over 60 percent last school year.
To determine which alternative breakfast models may be most successful in increasing breakfast participation, schools should consider the unique characteristics of their student population, physical spaces, schedules (bus and school day), and other factors. Many buildings offer more than one model and have added more options based on the success of others, which helps boost participation and sustainability over the course of a few school years.
Schools interested in exploring alternative breakfast models are encouraged to read the following implementation resources:
Making Breakfast Work as Part of the School Day (Food Research and Action Center)
Innovative Breakfast Delivery Options (No Kid Hungry)