The Tennessee Department of Education, along with support from No Kid Hungry, has selected 55 schools to receive funding to improve and expand their breakfast programs this school year. These grants provide funding, support, and resources to schools to enhance and expand their school breakfast program through alternative models to increase student access to and utilization of the vital program.
Despite the evidence-based benefits of school breakfast (lower absence rate, higher academic achievement, higher graduation rate, and fewer behavioral issues), it is often underutilized. Several barriers prevent students from eating the traditional school breakfast served before school begins: late morning arrival, lack of hunger in the early morning, inconvenient cafeteria location for students, or the preference to socialize. However, alternative service models in which breakfast is served in a more convenient way can address those barriers and are shown to be one of the most effective ways to boost school breakfast participation..
Schools selected to receive the funding will utilize it on the following needs to move breakfast out of the cafeteria and into the hands of more students:
- Equipment like carts, wagons, kiosks, insulated bags, coolers, trays, and other serving structures
- Supplies like trash cans, trash bags, and cleaning wipes
- Technology such as the point of service machines for payment
- Promotional materials like banners, ads, posters, newsletters, and kick-off events
Research shows that alternative models like breakfast in the classroom, grab and go breakfast, and second chance breakfast increase participation for all students, but the models especially help our most vulnerable students who depend on school meals access these feeding programs each day. We are confident with these 55 schools and many others across the state expanding their breakfast models to reach more students that we will see breakfast participation rates rise and that all Tennessee students who want school breakfast can access it every morning in every school.
Below are the Alternative Breakfast Mini Grants Recipients this round:
Name of School and County:
- York Institute – Alvin C York
- Arlington High – Arlington
- Big Sandy School – Benton County
- Bledsoe Middle School – Bledsoe County
- Pikeville Elementary – Bledsoe County
- Cecil B. Rigsby Elementary – Bledsoe County
- Mary V. Wheeler Elementary – Bledsoe County
- Porter Elementary – Blount County
- Union Grove Elementary – Blount County
- Cannon County High School – Cannon County
- Cheatham County Central – Cheatham County
- Harpeth High School – Cheatham County
- Sycamore High – Cheatham County
- Centerview Elementary – Cocke County
- Smoky Mountain Elementary – Cocke County
- Homestead Elementary – Cumberland County
- Church Hill Intermediate – Hawkins County
- Church Hill Middle – Hawkins County
- Hawkins Elementary – Hawkins County
- Mt. Carmel Elementary – Hawkins County
- Surgoinsville Elementary – Hawkins County
- Haywood High School – Haywood County
- Haywood Junior High – Haywood County
- Hickman County Middle – Hickman County
- East Hickman Intermediate – Hickman County
- Hickman County Senior High – Hickman County
- East Hickman High School – Hickman County
- Intrepid College Prep – Intrepid College Prep
- Jackson County Middle – Jackson County
- Mountain City Elementary – Johnson County
- KIPP Antioch College Prep Middle – KIPP Nashville (Antioch)
- Knowledge Academies High – Knowledge Academies
- Bearden High – Knox County
- Farragut High – Knox County
- Halls High – Knox County
- Summertown Elementary – Lawrence County
- Lincoln County High – Lincoln County
- Millington High – Millington Schools
- Vonore Elementary – Monroe County
- Oneida Elementary – Oneida SSD
- Oneida Middle – Oneida SSD
- Harriman High School – Roane County
- Roane County High – Roane County
- Rockwood Middle – Roane County
- Sweetwater Jr. High – Sweetwater City
- Van Buren County High – Van Buren County
- Grand View Elementary – Washington County
- Daniel Boone High – Washington County
- Jonesborough Middle – Washington County
- Wayne County High – Wayne County
- Waynesboro Middle – Wayne County
- Coker Creek Elementary – Monroe County
- Jack T. Farrar Elementary – Tullahoma City
- Fall Branch Elementary – Washington County
- Boones Creek Elementary – Washington County