As summer ends and a new school year begins, we celebrate the incredible efforts of summer meal providers and food access advocates who made sure kids had the food they need to grow and thrive. This summer, meal providers served millions of meals to children across Virginia – a powerful reminder of what’s possible when communities come together.
Now, as the school year gets underway here in Virginia, school meal programs carry that work forward. By ensuring students have access to healthy meals every day, schools help children stay nourished, focused, and ready to learn.
Breakfast After the Bell
Breakfast is one of the most important tools for student success. Research shows that students who eat breakfast at school perform better on tests, show improved behavior and health, and attend school more regularly.
Still, not every child can get to school early enough to eat breakfast in the cafeteria. That’s why strategies like Breakfast After the Bell are so powerful. By making breakfast part of the school day, more students are able to participate. Schools across Virginia use a variety of approaches, including:
- Breakfast in the Classroom – Meals are delivered to the classroom and eaten at the start of the school day, making breakfast a seamless part of learning.
- Grab-and-Go – Students pick up breakfast from carts or kiosks in high-traffic areas and take it with them to eat in the classroom or designated areas.
- Second Chance Breakfast – Breakfast is offered after the first period or later in the morning, giving students another opportunity to eat if they weren’t hungry or didn’t have time earlier.
These models ensure that breakfast is convenient, accessible, and stigma-free, helping more kids start the day nourished and ready to learn.
Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
CEP makes it possible for eligible schools to serve free breakfast and lunch to every student, no applications required.
CEP not only removes barriers for families but also helps schools:
- Eliminate stigma around free meals.
- Reduce paperwork and administrative burden.
- Increase participation and support stronger financial outcomes for school nutrition programs.
When meals are accessible to all, students are more likely to eat, which means they’re better able to focus, attend class consistently, and succeed. Families also benefit from reduced food costs, and schools can adopt innovative service models, like breakfast in the classroom, with greater ease.
Here in Virginia, CEP is already making a huge impact. In school year 2024–25, 96 of Virginia’s 131 public school divisions participated at all their schools, and another 24 divisions participated at some schools. Together, that meant more than 711,000 students, roughly two-thirds of Virginia’s 1.2 million public school students, had access to free breakfast and lunch.
We will update this blog in the coming weeks with information about CEP participation in school year 2025-26.
While school lunch participation is often strong, breakfast participation still lags behind. That’s an important opportunity. Increasing breakfast participation not only nourishes more kids but also helps strengthen the financial foundation of a CEP program.
When summer and school meals work together, kids have the nutrition they need all year long. By expanding access to proven strategies like Breakfast After the Bell and CEP, we can ensure every child in Virginia is healthy, nourished, and ready to succeed.
