EDUCATION

More Sioux Falls students are eating breakfast at school

Megan Raposa
Argus Leader

More Sioux Falls elementary students eat breakfast at school when it's served in the classroom. 

A grant from the Midwest Dairy Council two years ago allowed the Sioux Falls School District to experiment with serving breakfasts directly in the classroom rather than the lunchroom. That program since expanded to three schools and this year added a fourth: Cleveland Elementary.

Easier access to breakfast means teachers know their students are starting the day with a full stomach and an increased ability to focus. 

"These guys are ready to learn, and they're ready to go," said Cyndi Underberg, a first grade teacher at Terry Redlin Elementary. 

First grader Ashley Mateo throws away her breakfast once she is finished eating in teacher Cyndi Underberg's class Monday, Dec. 10, at Terry Redlin Elementary School in Sioux Falls.

It's unclear if the program will expand further in the future, said Child Nutrition Supervisor Joni Davis, but for now, she's glad to be meeting her goal of getting breakfast to more kids.

"We believe in breakfast," Davis said. 

A pilot program brought breakfast from the lunchroom directly to the classroom at Terry Redlin Elementary two years ago. In its first year, the average number of kids eating breakfast on any given day nearly doubled, according to data presented to school board members last week.

Terry Redlin was first selected to test serving breakfast in the classroom because the school meets specific federal criteria that allow all students to receive free breakfast and lunch. Hawthorne and Lowell also fit those criteria, so all students have the option to take breakfast without paying.

First grade students Henry Barlue, left, and Morgan Maunu, right, eat breakfast before class starts Monday, Dec. 10, at Terry Redlin Elementary School in Sioux Falls.

Cleveland does not qualify for the federal program that provides free meals school-wide, but students who qualify for free or reduced lunch can also receive breakfast for free or at a low cost. Other students have to pay the regular breakfast rate. 

In the first half of the year at Cleveland, the number of kids who, on average, eat breakfast every day more than doubled from 128 last year to 304 daily breakfasts served so far this school year. 

The transition to breakfast in the classroom meant additional costs in purchasing items such as insulated bags and carts to transport food. Those costs were covered in part by $5,000 Midwest Dairy grants for each school, totaling $20,000 in grants for the district. 

In Underberg's classroom, students started their day Monday with a carton of milk, banana bread, a fruit cup and a cheese stick. They listen to a playlist of educational songs on YouTube, and they pass around the wet wipes to clean up when they've finished eating. 

While her carpet may be taking more wear and tear from spills than in years before breakfast was served in her room, Underberg sees her students more focused during the morning. In past years, she said around 9:30 a.m. she'd start to get "the whines" from students, but she doesn't see that as much now.

Starting the day with breakfast also brings her students closer together.

"I think it builds community," she said. "It's almost like a family." 

First grade student Tatiana Twiggs, right, finishes her banana bread while class begins in Cyndi Underberg's class Monday, Dec. 10, at Terry Redlin Elementary School in Sioux Falls.