School Breakfast Program Basics
Quick Guide to School Breakfast Program Delivery Models
Delivery
Model
Traditional
Breakfast
When served
Where
Success
Before school
starts
Cafeteria or
some other
large main
area such as
the gym


Mid
Morning
Nutrition
Break
Breakfast is
served during
an already
established
“break” at the
school anytime
between 9 and
10 am
Anywhere.

Most
commonly in
the hallways

or outside
classrooms
from a mobile 
cart or in the
gym or
cafeteria
Limitations (real
or perceived)
Equipment and
 Students have
food already in
to want to go to
place for easy
the cafeteria to
delivery (don’t
have breakfast.
have to move
Social stigma of
equipment, staff
participating
can stay in the
exists.
cafeteria).
 Bus schedules
Majority of
are a limitation
schools still
as they often
offering
drop off
breakfast this
students with
way despite the
little or no time
low participation
to eat breakfast
rates associated
in school.
with this model.  Students prefer
to socialize
than go have
breakfast.
 Low
participation
rates
 Students are
often not
hungry that
early in the
morning
Quite successful  Equipment
in middle and
such as mobile
high school.
carts needed.
Mobile cart can
 Wireless
serve hot or cold
computer may
foods.
be needed with
point of service
Breakfast
software to
served as a
track number of
“buffet” from
students who
mobile carts or
take breakfast.
served Grab N
Go, in which
 Trash and food
breakfast items
waste may be
Breakfast
in the
Classroom
Breakfast is
In each
served either
individual
during the first classroom
or second hour
of school in the
classroom.








are
prepackaged in
bags or boxes
that students
take and eat
anywhere
allowed. An
already
established milk
break could
easily be
converted to a
Mid Morning
Breakfast
Highly
successful in
elementary
schools, mores
so when
teachers are
supportive of the
program.
Reduces stigma
because
everyone eats in
the same place.
Works
particularly well
when paired
with Universal
Free Breakfast
Eliminates issue
of school bus
schedule having
to arrive in time
for breakfast.
More students
participate.
Peer influence
exists. “If my
friends are
eating, so will I.”
Does not require
any special
equipment.
Fairly easy
issues to
address.







Somewhat
successful in
middle schools
Not a good
model for high
schools.
Efficient
tracking system
of who takes
breakfast
needed.
Trash and food
waste issues
Teachers’
perceptions that
time “is taken
away” from
instruction
needs to be
addressed.*
Parents’
perceptions that
it would be too
disruptive.
Delivery of
breakfast and
clean up issues
need to be
addressed.
Note: All of these
issues are easily

program to
implement
Food and trash
waste seldom
an issue
overcome by
simple solutions.
* Survey responses from Wisconsin teachers who serve breakfast in the classroom,
reveal that little or no instructional time loss was associated with serving breakfast in the
classroom. Furthermore, responses indicate that student performance, behavior and
mood increased while teachers’ workloads did not change or improved since
implementing breakfast in the classroom.
Quick Guide to School Breakfast Program Financial Models
Breakfast
Model
Elimination
of Reduce
Price
Breakfast
Description
Where Does it
Work Best?
As the name
Elimination of
implies, this model reduce price
entails eliminating breakfasts can
the reduce price
work in any
category.
school; big or
Therefore student
small schools,
who qualify for
rural or urban
reduce price meals schools as well
would not pay for
as in high
breakfast, they
middle or
would eat
elementary
breakfast free.
schools.
This would
translate into the
school having just
two categories of
students: paying
students and
student that eat for
free.
When Does it
Work Best?
 Elimination
of Reduce
Price
breakfasts
works best
when you
have a high
percentage
of free and
reduce price
qualifying
students in
your school.
 Elimination
of Reduced
Price
breakfast
works best
when you
notice a low
participation
rate among
students
who qualify
for Reduced
Price Meals.
Universal
Free
Breakfast
Universal Free
Breakfast provides
breakfast to all

Universal Free
breakfast can
work in any
Universal
Free
breakfasts
Effects and
Considerations
 Eliminating
the Reduce
Price
Breakfast
category will
increase
participation
in your
breakfast
program
overall,
especially
among
reduce price
breakfast
qualifying
students.
 Elimination
of Reduced
Price
Breakfast
will increase
your school
lunch
participation.
 Schools
must still
keep track
or breakfast
participation
by category
since they
will receive
federal
reimbursem
ents
according to
each
category.
 Schools
must still
keep track
students
regardless of
household income,
for free. In
universal free
breakfast all
students eat at no
cost to the
students (eat for
free).
school; big or
small schools,
rural or urban
schools as well
as in high
middle or
elementary
schools. It has
been
successful

when paired
with the
Breakfast in the
Classroom
delivery model

works best
when you
have a high
percentage
of free and
reduce price
qualifying
students in
your school.
Universal
Free
Breakfast
works best
when you
notice a low
participation
rate among
students
who qualify
for Free or
Reduced
Price Meals.
Works wells
when paired
with
Breakfast in
the
Classroom
or breakfast
participation
by category
since they
will receive
federal
reimbursem
ents
according to
each
category.