{"id":18875,"date":"2026-09-08T18:56:36","date_gmt":"2026-09-08T18:56:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/california\/?p=18875"},"modified":"2026-09-08T19:03:03","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T19:03:03","slug":"breakfast-spotlight-san-francisco-usd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/state.nokidhungry.org\/california\/breakfast-spotlight-san-francisco-usd\/","title":{"rendered":"BREAKFAST SPOTLIGHT: A Model for Success: How San Francisco Unified School District Is Fighting Hunger and Strengthening Schools"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”18877″ image_size=”medium_large” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”None” animation_movement_type=”transform_y” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”center” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]\n

A mural at Thurgood Marshall High School in San Francisco\u2019s Bayview neighborhood\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]Research continues to show that kids do better in school and in life when they start the day with a nutritious meal. The simple act of eating school breakfast benefits a child\u2019s mood, motivation and the mental clarity necessary to learn.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While ALL students in California eat school breakfast and lunch at no cost, barriers still persist. Issues beyond their control, such as unstable housing, unreliable transportation, lack of access to healthcare, or stigma, continue to force students to go without breakfast. Hunger can lead to chronic absenteeism (missing 15 or more school days for any reason), difficulty learning, as well as increased behavioral and health problems.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Eating a school breakfast can <\/span>reduce chronic absenteeism by as much as 6%<\/span><\/a> and improve a student\u2019s success in reading and math. Additionally, it helps teachers have calmer classrooms and there are fewer trips to the nurse\u2019s office. Making school breakfast a seamless part of the school day by serving it after the bell can also have a huge impact at home.<\/span><\/p>\n

For nearly a decade of the No Kid Hungry campaign here in California, San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) has been a longstanding No Kid Hungry champion and collaborator. Through strategic grant funding, collaborative organizations, and technical assistance, No Kid Hungry has supported SFUSD\u2019s Student Nutrition Services and their mission to nourish 50,000 students with healthy food.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, students across San Francisco public schools, from Cobb Elementary in the Upper Fillmore neighborhood and Denman Middle School in Mission Terrace to Thurgood Marshall High School in Bayview, all start their day with a nourishing <\/span>school breakfast in the classroom<\/b> with their peers.\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”18878″ image_size=”medium_large” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”None” animation_movement_type=”transform_y” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”center” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]\n

Student Nutrition Services professionals share how breakfast in the classroom works at Cobb Elementary.<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]\n

What Is Breakfast After the Bell?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

There are three Breakfast After the Bell models that schools can adopt to ensure their scholars eat breakfast and start their school day ready to learn. The Breakfast in the Classroom model, along with Second Chance breakfast and Grab-and-Go to the classroom, removes obstacles for families by allowing students who missed breakfast in the morning to have a nutritious meal to eat.<\/span><\/p>\n

In their report, <\/span>Transforming the Student Dining Experience: Ten Years of Change in the San Francisco Unified School District<\/span><\/a><\/span>, SFUSD\u2019s Student Nutrition Services (SNS) experimented with and innovated programming to expand access to school meals despite facing many challenges along the way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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At schools without breakfast in the classroom, 17% of students eat breakfast on average. Whereas, at schools with breakfast in the classroom, 61% of students eat breakfast on average.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Adopting the breakfast in the classroom model presented a compelling financial imperative for SFUSD by maximizing federal school meal reimbursements and improving the overall viability of school nutrition programs. Traditional breakfast models, where students must arrive at school before the first bell, often suffered low participation due to timing and social stigma, causing the district to miss out on significant federal funding intended for student nutrition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Transitioning to breakfast in the classroom dramatically increased the number of reimbursable meals served. These federal funds are versatile, covering not only food costs, but also preparation, supplies, salaries, and equipment. Beyond its immediate revenue and its ability to reduce the pressure on the district’s general fund, the model supports long-term district success by reducing chronic absenteeism by 6% and increasing graduation likelihood by 20%, ensuring that the SNS functions as a foundational pillar for academic and economic achievement.\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][image_with_animation image_url=”18879″ image_size=”medium_large” animation_type=”entrance” animation=”None” animation_movement_type=”transform_y” hover_animation=”none” alignment=”center” border_radius=”none” box_shadow=”none” image_loading=”default” max_width=”100%” max_width_mobile=”default”][vc_column_text css=”” text_direction=”default”]\n

What does breakfast in the classroom look like in San Francisco public schools?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n