Fewer Students In The District
Eating School Breakfast

WASHINGTON, D.C., November 6, 2003 – A study released today by the Food Research and Action Center reports that the District of Columbia ranks 22 out of 50 states and the District of Columbia for its School Breakfast Performance. The prior year it ranked 20th. Only 42 out of every 100 students that participate in school lunch in the District eat school breakfast.

“ Ranking 22nd is a weak showing. The School Breakfast Program is easier to run in D.C. than in most states because of shorter commutes, fewer transportation difficulties, and economies of scale,” said Kimberly Perry, Director of D.C. Hunger Solutions, a project of the Food Research and Action Center. “D.C. should be leading rather than getting a ‘Gentleman’s C’.”

The best performing state, Oregon, has 55 students eating breakfast for every 100 students eating lunch. For the 2002-03 school year, an average of 19,234 students ate school breakfast in the District, as compared to the 2001-02 school year, with an average participation of 20,316.

If the District’s participation rate in the School Breakfast Program were as good as the best performing states like Oregon, the City would serve an additional 5,415 students and bring in an estimated $1.1 million in additional federal dollars.

Instead of increasing participation last year, the data show a decrease in participation in the school breakfast program across the City. At a time of high poverty and the increased pressure for schools to perform well academically, this underutilized resource should be expanded to feed more children.

“ What better way to start the day than by eating a nutritious breakfast that will help students perform better in class? School breakfast provides the energy every student needs in the morning to tackle a full day of school,” said Kimberly Perry. “We hope the findings in this report will lead every District school that doesn’t already have a breakfast program to adopt one; and that it will lead schools that do have a program to design an outreach plan that will attract more students to participate.”

Research shows that children who eat breakfast have improved memory, problem-solving skills, verbal fluency and creative abilities. Qualitative research, including research from Harvard University and the University of Minnesota, also points to improved classroom behavior, with students being more alert, happier and ready to learn. Both studies saw an increase in math test scores in children who ate a good breakfast.

D.C. Hunger Solutions will be releasing further analysis of school breakfast data on Monday, November 10, 2003.

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