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PCR-I Wants Your Feedback: Breakfast Options

By Heath Halley and Sarah Bradshaw on April 17, 2019

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Good morning, this past fall the Putnam County R-I Board of Education engaged our school district in a strategic planning process. During that process, one item that became clear is that there is some concern regarding our school breakfast program. Sarah Bradshaw, food service director, and I need your help. Please read and take time to complete the survey to help us guide our breakfast program into the future. The survey link will be available until May 8th.

Breakfast is critical to learning and health, so it’s important that children do not start the school day hungry. Children who eat a nutritious breakfast have improved classroom performance, better test scores and grades, increased ability to concentrate and focus, as well as decreased disciplinary issues, tardiness, and visits to the nurse.

Because only 30% of the student body was participating in the traditional breakfast program, breakfast in the classroom was initiated in School Year 2015-2016 in an effort to improve the school breakfast program. This enhancement enabled us to offer breakfast free to every child, no matter the family’s income level, making it possible for all children to participate.

The monthly menu is written with a variety of offerings in an attempt to please the appetites of students from grades K-12. Nutritional value and dietary guidelines are a priority when meal planning. Although the main concern has been the sugar content of the breakfast offerings, there is not a guideline set in the USDA meal pattern requirements regarding that ingredient. The nutrient standards measured are calories, saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium. Three components are offered for breakfast including a 2 oz. equivalency of grains which are required to be 50% whole grain-rich, 1 cup of fruit and 1 cup of milk. Experience has made us aware of the products that children will actually consume and of course, the hot items are the favorites. Needless to say, hot breakfast increases the need for more resources, labor, and cost. We are fortunate to have a food service staff committed to excellence, as they now come in early on hot breakfast days to make it happen.

As a result of concerns regarding the current breakfast offerings, we are looking at other options that would better meet the needs of our students. Although we have a defined budget and limited manpower, we are able to propose alternate options for our breakfast program.

It is our desire to provide the finest food service program, achievable with our limitations. There are pros and cons with every option available, so we are asking for input from students, parents and staff members to assist us in the decision making. Please select which option below that you would like to see incorporated.

OPTION 1: BREAKFAST SERVED IN THE CAFETERIA

With this option, we could provide a daily choice of hot breakfast or cereal, including a variety of fruit, toast, and milk. This meal would be offered before school starts, between 7:40 and 8:10 am. Only a portion of the student body is likely to participate, and student accounts will be charged according to their approved meal status of full, reduced or free.

OPTION 2: HOT BREAKFAST IN THE CLASSROOM

This option will include a hot entree with fruit and milk and would be free of charge to all students. Because of the extra labor involved in preparing, packing and cleaning up after a hot breakfast, this option would require us to eliminate one of the entree choices from the lunch menu as well as remove the salad bar from the elementary cafeteria. Cereal would not be offered as a breakfast choice, which would likely be unpopular, especially among the elementary students.

OPTION 3: CURRENT BREAKFAST IN THE CLASSROOM -- WITH MODIFICATIONS

This option continues to offer breakfast to all students, free of charge. In order to address the concerns of sugar content, the assortment of offerings will be modified to lessen the variety. We will continue to offer a hot breakfast twice a week.

Please vote using the following link:

www.bit.ly/PCR1breakfast

Click to Take Breakfast Survey

Please feel free to call or email any questions and concerns you may have about our Food Service Program or the breakfast program.

Sarah Bradshaw, Food Service Director

sbradshaw@putnamcountyr1.net

660-947-3361 ext 307

Dr. Heath Halley, Superintendent

hhalley@putnamcountyr1.net

660-947-3361 ext 301