Beech Tree News Network

Last week, Butler County Schools celebrated National School Breakfast Week. The #NSBW19 theme was “Start Your Engines with School Breakfast,” which is designed to show parents, students, and school officials the benefits of fueling up for the day with a healthy school breakfast.

Each school featured a special breakfast menu that showcased new items and favorite breakfast foods. The unique menus included waffle bars and bacon, chocolate crescents, french toast, breakfast tacos and biscuits with country gravy.

Butler County Schools currently serve approximately 1,650 breakfast and 2,000 lunch meals per day. Breakfast participation is at 73% district-wide and lunch participation averages 88% district-wide. The district continues to be a CEP district that allows students to receive meals at no charge.

Butler County High School offers a second chance breakfast which allows students to eat between first and second period (if the student did not participate during regular breakfast hours). According to BCHS Kitchen Manager Joy Franzell, the second chance breakfast opportunity has been a huge success.

“Students have loved the new opportunities to eat a later breakfast. They enjoy the different varieties of foods we offer,” Franzell said.

The USDA nutrition program MyPlate suggests a balanced breakfast includes protein, dairy, fruit, and whole grains.

Butler County Schools Nutrition Director and Registered Dietitian Kaitlin Harrison says all of the available breakfast options meet federal guidelines.

“All of our meals are highly nutritious and we are always striving to serve the best options that our students will enjoy,” Harrison said.

The importance of eating breakfast is a district-wide initiative. “Kids who eat breakfast statistically have higher reading scores, and are more alert in the classroom. Our teachers and administrators are a huge help in encouraging our students to eat breakfast and help sustaining our CEP program,” Harrison said.