10 districts succeeding with low-income breakfast participation
By Benita Gingerella on Feb. 15, 2018The Food Research & Action Center last week released its annual report ranking the best U.S. schools for breakfast participation among low-income students. Based on a survey of 75 large school districts, the nonprofit ranked the districts by measuring how many low-income students participated in breakfast on an average day compared to how many participated in lunch during the 2016-2017 school year. Here are the 10 schools with the highest ratios.
10. San Diego Unified School District; San Diego
With more than 52 schools in its district, San Diego Unified serves more than 30,000 breakfasts each day. Students enjoy breakfast items such as scrambled eggs and bean and cheese burritos. The district has 77.9 low-income breakfast participants for every 100 low-income lunch participants.
9. Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools; Kansas City, Kan.
Pancakes on a stick, egg and cheese wraps and chicken biscuit sandwiches are some of the breakfast items offered to students at Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, which has 79.4 low-income breakfast participants for every 100 low-income lunch participants.
8. Rochester City School District; Rochester, N.Y.
Students in Rochester City School District enjoy breakfast inside their classrooms. Throughout the week, students are served menu items such as breakfast pizza and mini cinnamon French toast. The district has 81.5 low-income breakfast participants for every 100 low-income lunch participants.
7. Dallas Independent School District; Dallas
Students are able to enjoy breakfast in the classroom each morning at DISD, which has 82.3 low-income breakfast participants for every 100 low-income lunch participants. The district offers easy-to-eat foods such as yogurt and granola and mini pancakes.
6. Houston Independent School District; Houston
At HISD, which has 87.1 low-income breakfast participants for every 100 low-income lunch participants, breakfast in the classroom is offered at all of its elementary and middle schools and in some high schools (all the high schools serve traditional breakfast before class). Breakfast options for students include dishes such as sausage and cheese bagels and mini blueberry pancakes.
5. Boise School District; Boise; Idaho
While elementary students can enjoy breakfast in the classroom, High school students at Boise School District can either grab breakfast before their first class or later in the morning during the district's "breakfast break." The district has 90.8 low-income breakfast participants for every 100 low-income lunch participants.
4. Newark Public Schools; Newark, N.J.
Newark Public Schools offers breakfast in the classroom throughout the district as well as in its cafeterias. Students at select schools can also grab a morning meal from to-go kiosks in select schools in the district, which has 92.3 low-income breakfast participants for every 100 low-income lunch participants.
3. Newburgh Enlarged City School District; Newburgh, N.Y.
Newburgh Enlarged City School District began offering breakfast to its students during the 2015-2016 school year through a $224,030 grant. The district has 93.7 low-income breakfast participants for every 100 low-income lunch participants.
2. San Antonio Independent School District; San Antonio
Banana bread and sausage patties are some of the breakfast items offered to SAISD students in their classrooms. The district has 94.1 low-income breakfast participants for every 100 low-income lunch participants.
1. Los Angeles Unified School District; Los Angeles
LAUSD offers breakfast to students at all of its 657 school sites as well as at its Saturday school programs. The district has 116.3 low-income breakfast participants for every 100 low-income lunch participants.