Free breakfast for all students in the Boise School District has increased camaraderie, reduced stigma around school-provided meals and contributed to an increase in test scores among economically disadvantaged students, a new Boise State University study found.

But there is room for improvement. Some say they want the district to serve healthier breakfast foods with more protein.

The district launched its free breakfast for all program in the 2024-25 school year. As EdNews previously reported, trustees approved the $2.1 million program in June 2024 with money from the general fund and federal reimbursement. Researchers at the Idaho Policy Institute and Syringa State Community Research Lab at BSU recently published a study on the impact of the program, using a mix of surveys, focus groups and a trove of data.

The free breakfast program had several goals. The district hoped it would improve academic performance and behavior, increase attendance, reduce tardiness, support students’ well-being and eliminate the stigma around receiving school meals, according to the BSU study.

Researchers found the program achieved some of those goals. They compared test scores, enrollment and other data points from the 2023-24 school year with 2024-25 to find the differences from before and after implementing the program. Here’s what the study found:

Academic performance

There were no significant changes in test scores in general, but the number of economically disadvantaged students reaching proficiency on standardized tests increased by 6% or more. Schools with the greatest increases in breakfast participation saw improvements in scores among Hispanic and Latino students.

“These changes in performance on standardized tests may not be easily attributed to free breakfast, but research does show that students learn better when they are fed, and this could lead to better results on tests toward the end of the year,” according to the study.

Behavior

Between the two school years, teachers reported a 52% decrease in disruptive behavior and an 81% increase in student engagement. In focus groups, teachers said the free breakfast program helped students stay focused and engaged, especially among elementary students.

Secondary students said they were able to pay closer attention in class when they weren’t thinking about eating. They said their friends were happier after eating breakfast.

Attendance and tardiness

While data didn’t show any correlation between free breakfast and attendance, the researchers found a 4.2% overall decrease in tardies between the two school years. Schools with the biggest decrease in tardies also saw increased breakfast participation.

Taft Elementary showed the biggest change in tardies: a 39% decrease after implementing free breakfast. At the same time, breakfast participation increased by 17.2%.

Teachers said students who arrived late and didn’t get a chance to eat breakfast ended up putting “additional strain” on staff to provide food. And some teachers felt these students were the ones who needed breakfast the most. Some parents and teachers suggested food stations in the front office for tardy students.

Stigma

There is often a stigma around receiving free food. Teachers said some students would rather go hungry than feel embarrassed by taking free breakfast. A majority of teachers surveyed said they believe the free breakfast program reduced that stigma around school meals.

“They noted that the reduction in stigma was beneficial for students across income levels, frequently citing a sense of camaraderie, rather than judgment, that emerged around food,” according to the study.

Students at one school said eating school breakfast is now part of the “school culture.” Free breakfast increased social interaction, they reported, and created informal gathering spaces. They said school breakfast is no longer a “marker of economic status.”

Nutrition

According to the study, nutrition was the “most frequently raised concern among both parents and teachers.”

Most people surveyed said the free breakfast program has improved student nutrition, and all parents said feeding children is a social responsibility.

But a “highly-vocal minority” of parents said they want to see healthier options. Some of those parents said the “poor nutrition” made the free breakfast program more harmful than good. The parents said some students were experiencing sugar crashes in the afternoon.

Students surveyed had similar opinions. According to the study, students across the board want healthier options with more fruits and vegetables. Some suggested adding salad bars and more protein options, such as yogurt.

Students also mentioned Boise’s diversity and say they would like to see more religious-friendly and culturally diverse foods.

“Students saw the strength of the free breakfast program as increasing accessibility to food options at school and wanted to make sure that all students felt included,” the survey states.

District spokesperson Dan Hollar told EdNews that three registered and licensed dietitians plan all school menus.

“All of our meals meet or exceed federal standards — a requirement to receive federal funding,” Hollar wrote in an email.

What did students eat this week?

The district maintains an online menu of each school, with breakfast and lunch options. All schools include 1% and skim milk options for breakfast.

Here’s a sampling of what Boise students ate for breakfast this week:

Taft Elementary

• Monday: Blueberry lemon breakfast bar, strawberry yogurt, grape juice, raisins
• Tuesday: Orange muffin, string cheese, apple, mango fruit bowl
• Wednesday: Banana bread, peanut butter cup, grape juice, banana
• Thursday: Berry apple breakfast bar, string cheese, apple, raisins
• Friday: Pancake bites, peanut butter cup, applesauce, banana

Boise High

• Available every day: Honey Cheerios, berry apple breakfast bar, string cheese, apple, orange
• Monday: Harvest bread, peanut butter cup, Multi-Grain Cheerios, raisins
• Tuesday: Homemade cinnamon roll, multi-grain Cheerios, banana, strawberry craisins
• Wednesday: Breakfast quesadilla (with option of sausage crumble), salsa, hard-boiled egg, raisins, banana
• Thursday: Cranberry orange scone, peanut butter cup, strawberry craisins
• Friday: Breakfast burrito, salsa, hard-boiled egg, raisins

A path to free lunch

Parents, teachers and students surveyed saw free school lunch as a “natural next step” for Boise schools. Students said it would further decrease stigma and increase student connection and community building.

Researchers suggested the district could evaluate the fiscal and operational feasibility of free lunch. Ongoing evaluation and feedback, they added, will be essential for continuing the free breakfast program.