State Superintendent's Web Message Archive

Report praises Wisconsin's school breakfast growth

Wisconsin experienced an unprecedented 25.3 percent growth in its school breakfast programs last school year, an accomplishment that the Food Research and Action Center praised in its "School Breakfast Scorecard 2007" and attributed to hard work across the state.

We did work hard. During the 2006-07 school year, 1,628 public and private schools served more than 19 million breakfasts. This is about 4 million more breakfasts than the previous year. Milwaukee implemented a universal, free classroom breakfast program in most of its elementary schools, which contributed to about half of the increase. The rest of the increase came from statewide efforts to create new breakfast programs and improve existing programs to increase participation. The Hunger Task Force and School Nutrition Association of Wisconsin were partners in those efforts.

The 2007-09 state budget includes $5.4 million over the biennium for school breakfast aid, an increase of $3.3 million over the prior appropriation. State reimbursement for school breakfast will increase from 10 cents per meal to 15 cents. This is the first increase in school breakfast reimbursement aid since 2001-02.

We worked hard to secure this additional aid, which surely will support our continuing efforts to end hunger in the classroom. And we do need to continue our work. While the 'School Breakfast Scorecard 2007" praised Wisconsin's growth in serving school breakfast, the state is still in the bottom five for low-income student participation in breakfast and for the percentage of schools serving school lunch also serving breakfast.

Although research is clear that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, only about one-third of parents report eating breakfast with their school-age children every morning. Whether families lack time or adequate resources to provide breakfast at home, a school breakfast can fulfill an important need. The Food Research and Action Center reports that school breakfast improves nutrition; prevents obesity; improves student attendance, attentiveness, and achievement; and reduces discipline problems at school. Feeding the body, fuels the mind. We must continue our work to expand school breakfast programs. Reducing hunger in the classroom is an important part of our efforts to help all children succeed and close the achievement gap.

December 17, 2007 -- Return to message archive index

For questions about this information, contact Debra A. Bougie (608) 266-1598

Last updated on 2/26/2008 10:38:37 AM