Free Breakfast? Food for Thought!
Most Important Meal of the Day
1.
Universally Free Breakfast (UFB)
Increase Participation in all student categories
Eliminates overt Identification (Stigma)
Improved Attendance
Less Tardiness
Higher Test Scores
Less Referrals
Student Wellness (Healthier weight)
2.
What is UFB?
Local decision
Buy in from Stakeholders (It’s Free!)
No Federal or State criteria to Meet
SBP meal pattern
Multiple forms of Service (In the classroom, grab n go, traditional, second chance)
3.
Knowing your Revenues and Expenses
Expenses
Food Cost Factor ($.90, $1.00, $1.10) Calculate average breakfast cost
Labor Costs (wages and benefits) as little labor as possible.
Assume all other expenses paid by NSLP
Revenues
Students are claimed by F/R classification
Federal reimbursement in 2013/14 ($.28, $1.28, $1.58)
State reimbursement approximately $.09
Severe Need (add $.31 to F/R = $.28, $1.59, $1.89)
4.
Severe Need
Requirement for severe need is that 40% or more of the lunches served to students at that school in the second preceding school year were served free or at a reduced price. Form on DPI website to fill out and keep in your records. Fill out severe need breakfast information on contract. SY 2011-12.

5.
Assumptions (2012-13 school year)
Food cost = $.90 / meal
Labor cost = 1.5 hour / site (traditional) and 3.5 hour / site (in the classroom)
Average wage = $15 / hour
All school severe need
Reimbursement rates ($.27, $1.55, $1.85)
6.
Where’s the Money? Reimbursements formula (2012-13 school year)
Federal reimbursement = (# free x $1.85) + (# reduced x $1.55) + (# paid x $.27)
State reimbursement = (total breakfasts x $.09)
Total revenue = FR + SR
7.
What’s it Cost?
Food costs = (total breakfasts x Factor)
Labor costs = (total breakfast hours x average wage)
Total expenses = FC + LC
8.
Case study (Edison MS)
Before served approximately 50 students daily
Started 1/9/12. 679 students, 351 free, 57 reduced, and 271 paid. F/R = 60.1%
Marketing method was word of mouth and aide at entrance.
Fourth week 1/30-2/3. F=656, R=112, P=335
Total brkfst = 1103 or 220/day. Total Rev = $1538.52. Total Exp = $1161.45
9.
Case study (Marshall MS)
Before served approximately 530/ week or 106 students daily
Started 9/5/12. 923 students, 313 free, 50 reduced, and 560 paid. F/R = 39.3%
Marketing method word of mouth with principal support.
Fourth week 9/24-9/28, F=653, R=83, P=550
Total brkfst = 1286 or 257/day. Total Rev = $1607.37. Total Exp = $1382.40
10.
Case study question; Can UFB work when paid students out number F/R?(Marshall MS)
4/8-4/12, F=656, R=112, P=902
Total brkfst = 1670 or 334/day. Total Rev = $1789.39. Total Exp = $1728.00
11.
2012-13 MS totals
131,628 breakfasts served
271 / day average served in 2011-12
756 / day average served in 2012-13
MS enrollment 2160 (2011-12) and 2195 (2012-13)
1 in 8 SBP (2011-12), 1 in 3 (2012-13) Participation increase 21.89%

12.
Cycle menu
Food Cost range = $.761 to $.934
Average food cost = $.8343
Fresh fruit cost + 0 to $.15
Week #1; 451.9 calories & 4.32g sat fat
Week #2; 453.8 calories & 4.22g sat fat
Week #3; 452.7 calories & 3.70g sat fat
13.
Added K-5 Schools in January 2013.
14.
Added High Schools in September 2013
15.
All Schools UFB starting September 2013
October 2010
October 2011
October 2012 (UFB in MS)
1457 / day
1509 / day
2266 / day
October 2013 (UFB in all schools) 3157 / day
32.65% of students
Surplus brkfst revenue (2013-14) $77,551
16.
Wisconsin Schools of Recognition. (7)
17.
US News and World Report Silver Medalists. Craig and Parker HS
18.
National Blue Ribbon School. Kennedy Elementary
19.
Top accountability score in Rock County.
20.
Top accountability score of 10 largest schools in WI.
I will not take all the credit for the School District of Janesville’s accomplishments but at Edison MS, our pilot school with UFB, principal Jim LeMire did credit the program with decreasing referrals and improving the overall school environment.