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)

  1. 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)

  1. 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)

  1. 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.

  1. 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)

  1. 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

  1. What’s it Cost?

Food costs = (total breakfasts x Factor)

Labor costs = (total breakfast hours x average wage)

Total expenses = FC + LC

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. 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%

  1. 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

  1. Added K-5 Schools in January 2013.
  2. Added High Schools in September 2013
  3. All Schools UFB starting September 2013

October 20101457 / day

October 20111509 / day

October 2012 (UFB in MS)2266 / day

October 2013 (UFB in all schools)3157 / day

32.65% of students

Surplus brkfst revenue (2013-14)$77,551

  1. Wisconsin Schools of Recognition. (7)
  2. US News and World Report Silver Medalists. Craig and Parker HS
  3. National Blue Ribbon School. Kennedy Elementary
  4. Top accountability score in Rock County.
  5. 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.