The School Breakfast Program provides millions of children a nutritious morning meal, helping families and ensuring that students have the focus and energy they need to get the most out of their school day.
Any public school, nonprofit private school, or residential child care institution can participate in the School Breakfast Program and receive federal funds for each breakfast served. The program is administered at the federal level by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and in each state typically through the department of education or agriculture. To find the agency that administers the School Breakfast Program in your state, check USDA’s list of state administering agencies.
Quick Facts
- Just over 14.3 million children participated in the School Breakfast Program (SBP) on an average school day during the 2022–2023 school year.
- Total school breakfast participation decreased by nearly 1.2 million children (7.7 percent) compared to the 2021–2022 school year, following the loss of pandemic-era waivers that allowed schools to serve all students school meals at no charge.
- The gap between school breakfast and lunch participation grew in the 2022–2023 school year compared to the previous year. Only 50.9 children received a school breakfast for every 100 children who received a school lunch, a decrease from 51.9 per 100 in the 2021–2022 school year.
Explore These Topics
- Benefits of School BreakfastStarting the day with a healthy school breakfast ensures that children have the nutrition they need to learn and thrive. A wide body of research supports the health and educational benefits of participation in the School Breakfast Program. Find out more about the research.
- School Breakfast Expansion StrategiesThe most successful strategies for increasing school breakfast participation are to serve breakfast after the bell and offer breakfast at no charge to all students. Find out how to make these strategies work in your state or community.
- Community Eligibility ProvisionCommunity eligibility allows high-poverty schools and districts to offer breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students and realize significant administrative savings. Many schools combine community eligibility with proven models like breakfast in the classroom to boost breakfast participation. Learn more about community eligibility and search our database of schools to find out if schools in your state or community are eligible and participating.
- State School Breakfast LegislationStates have passed a variety of types of legislation to increase school breakfast participation, including legislation for Breakfast in the Classroom. Find out more.
- Eligibility and ReimbursementsChildren from low-income households are eligible to receive meals for free or at a reduced-price based on their household income or participation in other government programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Find out more about how children are certified for free and reduced-price school meals.
- Serving Breakfast in Rural School DistrictsSchool breakfast is particularly important for students in rural, low-income households who are more likely than their peers in metropolitan areas to live in food-insecure households, and, who often face additional barriers to accessing the program. Learn more in our fact sheet: School Breakfast in Rural Communities – Get the Facts.
FRAC Reports
The Reach of School Breakfast and Lunch During the 2022–2023 School Year
Read MoreThe State of Healthy School Meals for All: California, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Vermont Lead the Way
Read MoreLarge School District Report: Operating School Nutrition Programs as the Nation Recovers From the Pandemic
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Tools You Can Use
The Connections Between Food Insecurity, the Federal Nutrition Programs, and Student Behavior
Find out moreResearch Brief: Breakfast for Health
Read moreResearch Brief: Breakfast for Learning
Read moreFRAC Facts: School Breakfast Program
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