What side of the bed kids get up on doesn’t really set the tone of their day; it’s whether they get fed. 

For students at Battle Creek Public Schools, breakfast is a guarantee—and that’s paying off in healthier students, better grades and fewer disciplinary issues.

Starting last fall, the four-year-old Breakfast in the Classroom program grew to include every student at every elementary and middle school in Battle Creek. It’s the result of a unique community partnership created when Kellogg Company, through its Breakfast for Better Days initiative, and United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region (UWBCKR) came together with BCPS and Operation Fit. (Operation Fit is a healthy community initiative of Bronson Battle Creek, Battle Creek Community Foundation and the Regional Health Alliance.)

“Every principal has told us that their students are more focused, more calm and more cooperative with teachers and each other since breakfast became part of the classroom routine,” said Kim Parker-DeVauld, interim superintendent for BCPS.

National School Breakfast Week is March 7-11, giving added incentive to highlight the success of Breakfast in the Classroom.

An estimated 7,500 children in Calhoun County are considered food insecure, meaning they can’t count on adequate, nutritious food from day to day. According to Feeding America, hungry children do poorly in school, have lower academic achievement, and have more social and behavioral issues. Other studies show kids who do not get breakfast have more absences and don’t score as well in math.

Recognizing this need, a group of educational and nutrition organizations began encouraging Breakfast in the Classroom at the national level in 2010. The local partnership brought it to Dudley Elementary during the 2011-12 school year. Teachers quickly noted that their students were better prepared to learn and interact. The program expanded to Valley View and Fremont schools in 2014 with similar results. All elementary and middle schools climbed aboard in 2015.

“United Way helped fund a lead supervisor at each school to help coordinate meals and support teachers,” said Chris Sargent, executive vice president for UWBCKR. “They work with Chartwells School Dining Services to deliver breakfast meals to each classroom by 8:30 a.m. Just 15 minutes is all it takes to feed a hungry child and get him or her started on the right foot for the school day.”

Teachers set their own routines for their classrooms—sharing breakfast with students, completing morning tasks, tutoring one-on-one, offering reading time for students, and other activities.

According to Michelle Morrissey, director of dining services for BCPS, a whopping 380,950 breakfast meals were served to students through February of the current school year—90,000 more than served in the same period the previous year. “We’ve been able to expand the program to 10 schools and make a real difference for kids without adding undue burden on staff,” she said.

When BCPS principals gathered for a meeting in February to talk about Breakfast in the Classroom, they reported dramatic declines in behavioral issues; one school reported a 96% drop in morning referrals and students who are more engaged in learning from the start of the day. Cleanup has not been a problem, and even teachers who were initially skeptical have been won over.

Among principals’ comments about Breakfast in the Classroom:

“It has changed the culture in the building in the morning. The day starts off in a smooth and constructive way.”

“I don’t think we’ve have had one (behavioral) referral [before or] during breakfast.”

“Everyone gets their morning started in a positive way.”

Parker-DeVauld said she’s excited by how quickly the program has made a good impact, and principals can’t imagine a school day without it. “We want to do everything we can to help our students learn and succeed to their full potential,” she said. “Breakfast in the Classroom is just one way we’re doing that at BCPS.”