Millions of kids in America face the school day on an empty stomach. But hungry kids can’t learn. Simply making breakfast a part of the school day changes everything. This spring, we are on track to announce one million more kids are eating school breakfast! This accomplishment is only possible because of the hard-working school leaders in communities across the country.
In honor of National School Breakfast Week, we bring you today’s School Breakfast Hero, Regena English, Student Nutrition Director in Pulaski County, Arkansas.
A woman with a plan.
Regena English takes her responsibility for feeding children in Pulaski schools very seriously. As a mother of four, she understands the importance of breakfast on a very personal level. That’s why when No Kid Hungry Arkansas representative, Vivian Nicholson, visited her to talk about changing her breakfast model, it did not take long for Regena to get on board.
Regena recounts the journey of her district and the key elements of their success:
- Get your principals on board first: Many of her principals attended a conference where they learned about the link between breakfast and academic performance. They came back excited and Regena took full advantage of their energy. Principals then worked with teachers and gained buy-in within their buildings.
- Engage partners: Pulaski engaged a range of partners to help them kick off the transition successfully. Between the No Kid Hungry technical assistance, Fuel Up to Play 60 branded cooler bags, and grants from the Arkansas Meals for Achievement initiative, the community came out in full support. Even the governor visited to see breakfast in the classroom making a difference.
- Smart scheduling matters: Contrary to popular belief, breakfast in the classroom does not mean an increase in staff time. Regena was able to restructure her staff time to ensure prep work was done the day before. She balanced high and low-prep items together to even out each day. She admits it was trial and error, but did not take long to figure out what worked for her schools and what didn’t.
- Put your customers first: Regena is a firm believer in talking with students and understanding their food preferences. She hosts taste testing events and conducts feedback surveys from students as a regular business practice. As a result, she now serves more breakfasts than lunches at two of her schools!
- Address hurdles early: Regena approaches any barrier with a can-do attitude. She listens to issues from principals, teachers, parents and students and addresses them head-on. Pre-packaged peaches were impossible for little hands to open, so they changed the fruit offering. She appeased custodial concerns by changing to using real trays at lunch, dramatically reducing their overall trash. She also regularly communicates with parents via Facebook to ensure their voices are being heard.
- The bottom line: Breakfast in the classroom does not cost more. Yes, the district will see an increase in food costs because you are serving more kids food! This cost is offset by the increase in breakfast participation and additional reimbursement.
Breakfast after the bell is just the beginning in Pulaski. Regena continues to evolve the program. She is serving more hot breakfast items and has moved to offer versus serve, giving students more choices. At Matt Mellor’s school, they are starting a school garden complete with a pond and fruit trees! “I’m all in,” says Regena.
