What’s new on the menu this fall as kids head back to school?  For a growing number of schools it will be Breakfast in the Classroom.  More and more schools are finding that moving breakfast from the cafeteria to the classroom can boost participation.  In fact, in its annual School Breakfast Scorecard, the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) credits Breakfast in the Classroom as the “most effective strategy for increasing participation.”  In the 2012-2013 school year, 13.2 million children participated in the School Breakfast Program on a typical school day.

One example is Erie Public Schools in Pennsylvania, where a Breakfast in the Classroom pilot test is underway. The district will start with a few schools to work out logistics, but hopes to expand it to all elementary schools. At Pfeiffer Burleigh school where needs are great, they expect participation to jump from 40% to all students in the school – about 900 students each day. “We know that kids learn better, have better behavior when they are well-fed; they can focus, it reduces illness long range and we are very excited to try it here,” said Principal Karin Ryan. E S Foods’ Breakfast Breaks will be part of the program. In a recent news segment on the Erie Schools by a local NBC affiliate,  reported Lisa Adams noted how Breakfast Breaks even opens up to serve as a placement for kids to use on their desks. Watch the full story:

NBC Story:  Erie Schools to Offer Free Breakfast in Classroom