Power Up With Breakfast FY07 - FY13

We began with two pilot schools in 2003 which helped us to identify challenges and barriers and tweak the program accordingly. An intensive communication program was implemented to bring District leadership into the decision making circle. We first started communicating our intentions with the Superintendent, the Chief Academic Officer, and the Chief Operating Officer. Once we had their support, we reached out to Principals. The program was rolled out incrementally over the last seven years, starting with schools that had the highest percentage of Free and Reduced Price Meal students and working down.

We happily announced its expansion of the program to all schools this year. Fifty-three schools, some whose Free and Reduced Price Meal percentages were 20% or lower, were the last to be added to the program. The district-wide program was launched on October 1, 2012 with a large marketing initiative including marketing flyers sent home with all students, Power Up With Breakfast aprons donned by cashiers on the grand opening day, and pencils distributed during FCAT test taking time.

In the 2012-2013 school year, we served over an additional 790,000 free breakfast meals to students. For some of the schools that had a higher socioeconomic population, increases of 150% to as much as 450% in participation occurred as a result of this effort. These numbers show that all students can benefit from having a free breakfast available at school.

Students need to be eating breakfast so they can perform better at school. Breakfast is a valuable component in our quest to improve academics. We are proud to be able to offer this important service to the students and families in Palm Beach County.

With Lori Dornbusch and Jupiter Farms Elementary Principal, William Thompson.