PENNSYLVANIA — The Pennsylvania Department of Education has announced the Governor’s School Breakfast Challenge, a new initiative aimed at increasing participation in the Universal Free Breakfast Program.
Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin unveiled the three-month program, emphasizing the importance of ensuring students start their day with a nutritious meal. Governor Josh Shapiro secured universal free breakfast as part of his inaugural budget, and his administration is now focusing on encouraging more schools to take advantage of the program.
“A well-nourished brain and body can significantly enhance a student’s performance, attentiveness, and behavior,” Secretary Mumin stated. “The Universal Free Breakfast Program embodies our commitment to ensuring all children start their day well-fed, and we invite all schools across the Commonwealth to join the Governor’s School Breakfast Challenge.”
The Challenge will recognize schools that successfully increase breakfast participation and implement sustainable changes to incorporate more nutritious and locally sourced foods into their meal offerings. Specific criteria for the challenge can be found on the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s website. Schools demonstrating the greatest success in boosting participation will receive recognition from the Shapiro Administration later this year.
Governor Shapiro’s first budget allocated $46.5 million to continue providing universal free breakfast throughout the 2023-24 school year. This funding ensures ongoing, sustainable state support for free breakfast in the future, as it recognizes that students learn better on a full stomach. The budget also enabled students eligible for reduced meals to receive lunch at no cost.
The Universal Free Breakfast Program uses the existing meal reimbursement system to pay schools for the difference between the free federal reimbursement and paid or reduced-price meal reimbursement. This means that no student has an out-of-pocket cost for a standard breakfast and those eligible for reduced lunch can have a school lunch at no cost to their families.
Currently, over 455,000 free breakfasts are served each day in Pennsylvania schools. More than 3,000 schools participate in the program, making over 1.7 million students eligible for a free breakfast every day. Since the program’s inception, school breakfast participation has doubled among students who would usually pay full price.
Schools not currently participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs can find application information on the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s website. For more details about Pennsylvania’s education policies and programs, visit the Department of Education’s website.
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