school breakfast lunch food

KENNEWICK, WA — The Finley School District has announced that all Finley students will have a second chance for breakfast when school starts on August 27th. 

Finley School District is launching Breakfast After the Bell, an innovative program proven to increase participation and access to school breakfast. By shifting breakfast to after the school bell rings and into the classroom, students have higher test scores, better focus, and miss less school. Also, Finley Elementary and Middle School both qualify as CEP schools, meaning that all Finley students in grades kindergarten through 8th can receive breakfast for FREE each day at school!

Multiple barriers prevent students from getting traditional cafeteria breakfast (before the bell):  buses arriving late at school; hectic morning schedules; stigma that school breakfast is for “poor” kids; and students preferring to socialize instead of eating.  With Breakfast After the Bell, nutritious meals will be offered to elementary students in their classrooms, and to middle and high school students between first and second period each school day.

According to the Food Research & Action Center’s “Breakfast for Learning,” a growing body of research shows that students who experience hunger have poorer cognitive functioning and are less able to succeed academically. In addition, absenteeism, tardiness, and visits to the school nurse are more common among students with hunger. Offering school breakfast not only improves the health and well-being of students, but it also supports the school learning environment.

With this alternative breakfast program, Finley School District will be better able to meet the needs of more students on a regular basis and improve its performance as a school. Details about what the program will look like in Finley schools, along with many other resources can be found on the Finley website at www.finleysd.org/breakfast.