Food Services Article - Irving ISD

Breakfast Participation Climbs 17%!!!

Early meal data indicates that the average daily breakfast participation rate increased 17% in Irving ISD!

Data was examined from April 2008 and September 2008. This means that several thousand more students in SY08-09 are enjoying healthy yet low-cost breakfasts every day. Numerous studies indicate that breakfast is indeed the most important meal, and that students who start their day with a healthy breakfast perform better academically and have fewer trips to school nurses, fewer tardies, and overall improved behavior.

What factors are driving this increase? Likely contributors include:

	an increase in cutting-edge breakfast programs, such as “Breakfast in the Classroom” that provide breakfast at no charge or expense to students
	an increase (year to date) in the number of students that qualify for free/reduced price meals
	higher quality foods, and more variety, being offered for breakfast
	a slowing economy
	effective advertising campaigns to increase awareness of the benefits of school breakfast

Higher food and energy costs forced the school district, over the summer, to increase the cost of student breakfasts by $.05 each. Despite this price increase, however, breakfast participation is on the rise.

We’re please that thousands of additional IISD students are making the smart choice to start their day with healthy school breakfasts. If you haven’t yet enjoyed one of our delicious breakfasts, we invite you to visit your school’s cafeteria for a healthy, low-cost breakfast that tastes great!