Frequently Asked Questions about School Breakfast

WHEN is the best time to serve breakfast?

During the School Day

• Breakfast after the first bell ensures that all students have access to a healthy morning meal since students do not have to arrive early in order to eat.
• Buses and parents are more likely to drop off students in time for breakfast if it is offered at the start of the school day, rather than before school begins.
• Research shows that eating breakfast closer to instruction time has a greater impact on student success.

Before School

• Breakfast before school can be combined with student activity group meetings to boost participation levels.
• Coaches and advisors can supervise students who eat breakfast in the cafeteria during these morning sessions.
• Teachers can meet students in the cafeteria for tutoring sessions and other meetings.

Serving breakfast during the regular school day increases the number of students that can participate.

WHERE is the best place to serve breakfast?

In the Classroom

• Breakfast in the classroom after the first bell eliminates the stigma often associated with school breakfast and gives all students the opportunity to eat a healthy morning meal.
• Classroom teachers can take attendance, collect homework, and accomplish other administrative tasks during breakfast without interfering with "time on learning".
• Students can also use this 10-15 minutes time period to work on homework or reading assignments.
• Student representatives from each class can pick up pre-packed meals from the cafeteria and deliver them to the classroom in carts, crates, and/or coolers.
• Teachers can invite students to take their breakfast from the cooler or have one student distribute the meals to the rest of the class.
• Teachers can record the meals taken while taking attendance. Student representatives can then bring the empty carts, along with the attendance sheet with meal information, back to the cafeteria.
• Students can be responsible for cleaning their eating area and disposing of all garbage in a sturdy trash bin with a lid.
• Once breakfast is complete, bins can be put in the hallway for the custodian to collect during the time that would have otherwise been spent cleaning the cafeteria.
• Schools that do not have a cafeteria may already serve lunch in the classroom. The same serving method can be used to introduce breakfast in the classroom.

In the Cafeteria

• Breakfast in the cafeteria allows students to socialize with their friends during breakfast.
• Food service directors are able to offer a greater variety of breakfast items when the morning meal is served in the cafeteria (e.g. hot or "messy" foods).
• Breakfast can be served in shifts if the school cafeteria is too small to accommodate all of the students at once.
• To maximize the number of students who participate, the school can make the cafeteria the morning gathering place or only allow students to enter the school building through the door closest to the cafeteria.
  

In the Hallways - Grab n' Go

• Grab n' Go breakfasts allow students the flexibility to eat their morning meal whenever they arrive at school.
• Bagged or individually wrapped breakfasts can be served from mobile carts or tables at school entrances, courtyards, or high traffic areas.
• Coolers can also be placed on each floor of the school so that students pick up their breakfast on their way to class.
• Students can take their breakfast with them to eat on the playground or in the classroom.

WHAT can be served at breakfast?

Hot Food

• Serving hot food adds variety to the menu and often attracts more children to breakfast.
• Many schools without kitchens receive pre-made hot foods from a satellite kitchen and use hot boxes or other warmers to keep the food at a safe temperature.
• Hot food can be served in classrooms using warmers to transport. Hand held items such as breakfast sandwiches and egg burritos are perfect for the classroom.

Cold Food

• Low sugar cereals, fresh fruit, dred fruit, yogurt with granola, trail mix, low fat cheese sticks, applesauce, granola bars, and whole wheat bagels with low fat cream cheese or peanut butter require little preparation.
• Cold foods can easily be put in Grab n' Go breakfast bags for students to take as they enter the school building.

Variety and choice are key factors for a successful breakfast program. Surveys and taste tests can help to determine what breakfast foods students would like to eat.

HOW is breakfast staffed?

Cafeteria Staff

• Serving breakfsat at school requires cafeteria staff to prepare and serve food. Some schools rely on cafeteria staff to supervise students during breakfast.
• Most of the prep work for breakfast is completed in the morning before students arrive. However, cafeteria staff often begin preparing in the afternoon for the next day's breakfast. For instance, for schools that offer breakfast in the classroom, coolers can be packed with milk the night before and put in the walk in fridge.
• If cafeteria space is limited, breakfast may need to be served in shifts. This may mean additional supervision costs.

Teachers / Aides / Volunteers

• If cafeteria staff are unable to provide supervision, aides or teachers may be needed for this purpose.
• Teachers can eat breakfast with students in the cafeteria or complete their morning work during breakfast.
• Parents or volunteers could also be asked to help with supervision at breakfast.

Student Assistance

• When offering breakfast in the classroom, students can transport meals to the classroom and return the empty coolers to the cafeteria. Students can also help count the milks for their classmates when they pick up their meals.

Serving breakfast in the classroom eliminates the need for additional supervision.

What START-UP COSTS are required to serve breakfast?

Equipment for Breakfast in the Cafeteria

• Since all schools in Massachusetts serve lunch, most of the necessary equipment for breakfast is already in place, including ovens, heat trays, refrigerators, and freezers.
• Commercial toasters and other equipment specific to breakfast may prove helpful for offering a varied menu.

Equipment for Breakfast in the Classroom

• Schools that serve breakfast in the classroom may need to invest in sturdy trash bins to accommodate solid and liquid food waste.
• The food service department may also choose to purchase insulated bags and coolers with wheels to transport food.

How to Pay for School Breakfast

Federal Reimbursement

As with lunch, USDA provides reimbursement for each complete meal served based on students' free, reduced, and paid status. Payment categories are established by annual School Meals Applications.

Federal severe need schools are those in which 40% of the lunches served 2 years prior were free or reduced price meals and, therefore, qualify for a higher level of reimbursement. Food service directors do not need to submit documentation of breakfast costs to receive this reimbursement. Instead, they can check off a box next to each severe need school listed on their reimbursement claim in order to indicate eligibility for the additional reimbursement. The Department of Education (DOE) confirms eligibility status.

State Reimbursement

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts offers additional funding for State Mandated breakfast schools. These sre schools that are eligible federal severe need AND have an enrollment where at least 50 students were eligible for free or reduced price meals in October of the prior year. These schools are eligible for up to $.10 per meal for breakfast costs that exceed federal severe need reimbursement. Food service directors must submit documentation of breakfast costs to the DOE each month to receive this reimbursement. Types of allowable costs include food preparation, food service, cleanup, supervision, extension services, enrichment activities, etc.

Universal Breakfast (UB) is a program that enables schools to offer breakfast to all students at no charge, regardless of household income. In Massachusetts, a state mandated elementary school with at least 60%* of students eligible for free and reduced price meals and serving breakfast during the school day may apply for UB funds from the DOE at the beginning of the school year. All meals served as part of UB (free, reduced, and paid) will be given an additional reimbursement of approximately 45 cents per meal based on cost documentation. This money is above and beyond the federal severe need and state mandated reimbursements. UB funds are distributed to schools twice per year, five months worth of funds at a time. Food service directors must submit documentation of breakfast costs to the DOE each month to receive this reimbursement. Types of allowable costs are the same as for state mandated schools.

Revenue from Paying Students

Unless a school offers breakfast free to all students regardless of income, the food service department will receive revenue from students who pay either the full or reduced price for school breakfast.

When setting the breakfast prices, consider the following:

• The maximum charge for a reduced price breakfast is 30 cents.
• The charge for a full priced breakfast should not exceed the actual cost of preparing the meals minus any federal and state reimbursement.
  

The federal School Breakfast Program reimbursement rates for the 2007-08 school year are as follows:

How do schools sign up to serve breakfast?

If you are interested in starting a breakfast program at your school, there are many resources to help you get started.

The MA Department of Education's Nutrition, Health, and Safety Department can provide you with technical support and assistance with both financial and menu planning. To request an application, please send a letter stating that you would like to operate a school breakfast program to:

Katie Millett, Administrator
Nutrition, Health, and Safety
MA Dept of Education
350 Main Street
Malden, MA 02148

Make sure to include your district agreement number and your school's site number.

For more information:
Phone: 781-338-6493
Website:DOE

The MA Department of Education's Child Nutrition Outreach Program (CNOP) at Project Bread is available to provide you with ideas and materials for promoting your new breakfast program. CNOP staff are willing to meet with any food service department or school administration interested in starting a new school breakfast program.

For more information:
Phone: 617-723-5000
Email: cnop@projectbread.org

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides funding for the School Breakfast Program nationwide. Their website contains useful information about the program's history and regulations as well as menu planning, income eligibility guidelines, and reimbursement rates. Their School Breakfast Toolkit includes worksheets for calculating your breakfast costs and marketing your program.

For more information:
Website: USDA/FNS

Nearly 1400 schools in Massachusetts already serve breakfast to their students. Speaking to other food service directors and principals in neighboring districts about what works and what doesn't can save you time and energy.