National School Breakfast Program

• What is the School Breakfast Program?

  The School Breakfast Program is a Federal entitlement program that provides States with cash assistance for non-profit breakfast programs in schools and residential child care institutions. It began as a pilot project in 1966, and was made permanent in 1975. It is administered at the Federal level by the Food and Nutrition Service. State education agencies and local school food authorities administer the program at the local level in more than 72,000 schools and institutions. Regulations require that all school meals meet the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In addition, breakfasts must provide one-fourth of the daily recommended levels for protein, calcium, iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calories.

• What schools and institutions can participate?

  Public schools or non-profit private schools of high school grade or under, and residential child care institutions are eligible to participate in the School Breakfast Program.

• Who gets free or reduced-price breakfasts?

  Any child at a participating school may purchase a meal through the School Breakfast Program. However, children whose families meet income criteria may receive free or reduced-price breakfasts. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the Federal poverty level are eligible for free meals. Those with incomes between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level are eligible for reduced-price meals. (For the period July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008, 130 percent of the poverty level is $26,845 for a family of four; 185 percent is $38,203.) Children from families over 185 percent of poverty pay full price, though their meals are still subsidized to some extent.

• How do schools get reimbursed for meals?

  Participating schools and institutions must serve breakfasts that meet Federal nutrition standards, and must provide free and reduced-price breakfasts to eligible children. Participating schools and institutions receive cash assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for each meal served that meets program requirements. School food authorities submit a claim to their State agency for meals served. Schools may qualify for higher "severe need" reimbursements if a specified percentage of their lunches are served free or at a reduced price. Severe need payments are up to 22 cents higher than the normal reimbursements for free and reduced-price breakfasts. About 65 percent of the breakfasts served in the School Breakfast Program receive severe need payments. Reimbursement payments for all meals are higher in Alaska and Hawaii. Schools may charge no more than 30 cents for a reduced-price breakfast. Schools set their own prices for breakfasts served to students who pay the full meal price (paid), though they must operate their meal services as non-profit programs.

• How many children participate? At what cost?

  For Fiscal Year 2001, Congress appropriated $1.49 billion for the School Breakfast Program, up from $1.40 billion in Fiscal Year 2000. In Fiscal Year 2000, an average of 7.55 million children participated every day. That number grew to 7.7 million in the early months of Fiscal Year 2001. Of those, 6.4 million received their meals free or at a reduced-price.By comparison, participation and cost in previous years: 1995: 6.3 million children at a cost of $1.05 billion; 1990: 4.1 million children at a cost of $ 596.2 million; 1985: 3.4 million children at a cost of $379.3 million; 1980: 3.6 million children at a cost of $287.8 million; 1975: 1.8 million children at a cost of $ 86.1 million; 1970: 0.5 million children at a cost of $ 10.8 million.

• Is it within NSBP guidelines to provide every child with juice every morning in the classroom?

  Although the intent is good, the CNP funds are restricted.

• Can a school district purchase backup generators for use with refrigerators, coolers and freezers in anticipation of power outages, such as during a hurricane?

  USDA has stated that in situations in which there is a history of storms, such as a hurricane, in which power is not available for an extended period of time and frozen food supplies have been lost, that the purchase of a backup generator for use during power outages would be an allowable expenditure. The following procedure and restrictions must be followed when purchasing a backup generator:

  1. Submit a letter or request to the State Agency addressing the need for the generator.
  2. The generator is to be used exclusively by Food Service.
  3. The generator is not to be used for general purposes, but only as a backup for refrigeration equipment.
  4. The generator is to be added to the district's list of equipment allocated to the Food Service Department for accountability and to track its location.