Breakfast, lunch participation rates vary across Mississippi schools

• A recent PEER report shows the overall cost of food in Mississippi schools ranges from $1.35 per meal to $8.16.

A recent report from the Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) reviewed the nutrition programs offered at select school districts in Mississippi. 

Forty-nine districts responded to the request for information, which included breakfast and lunch participation rates, the number of districts offering alternative breakfast programs, and the cost of meals for the district. Data included in the report is based on information from the 2023 fiscal year.

All districts in the report provide students with the option to choose their food items, called “offer versus serve.” It allows students to decline food items they have no intention of eating, reducing food waste. Regulations mandate the schools offer a meat or meat alternatives, fruit, grains, vegetables and milk.

While all districts offer breakfast and lunch, not every district offers an alternative breakfast program. Alternative breakfast options include grab and go, breakfast in the classroom and second chance breakfast, which is served after the first class of the day. 

Of the 49 responding districts, 34 reported not offering an alternative breakfast program. PEER cites that offering an alternative breakfast program can act as a revenue booster and have positive impacts on students. 

“According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, students who eat breakfast have improved moods and increased alertness throughout the morning, which may translate to higher academic performance,” the report states.

Other benefits to providing breakfast to students include better test scores, increased cognitive function and a reduction in behavioral issues and instances of tardiness, the report outlines.

The district listed in the report as offering alternative breakfast programs within the most schools was the Pascagoula-Gautier School District. The report states that the Coast district has 14 schools that provide breakfast in the classroom, and two that offer second chance breakfast. The district reported a breakfast student participation rate of 67 percent, the highest for alternative breakfast programs.

Of the 49 districts included in the report, one was cited with a 100 precent breakfast participation rate, North Bolivar. Forrest School District reported a rate of 95 percent and Western Line reported 92 percent. 

The three districts in the report that showed the lowest breakfast participation rates were Ocean Springs at 19 percent, Clinton at 20 percent, and Booneville at 27 percent. 

Lunch participation rates also varied widely based on school district.

North Bolivar and Gulfport school districts both reported 100 percent lunch participation rates, with Laurel just behind at 96 percent. West Bolivar had the lowest rate at 46 percent, followed by Richton at 47 percent and Booneville at 50 percent.

Another statistic that varied largely across the districts was food costs.

Overall food costs, which take into consideration the cost of food and the price of labor and non-food related expenses, ranged from a low of $1.35 per meal to $8.16.

Western Line School District reported the lowest overall food cost of $1.35, while Jefferson Davis School District reported overall food costs totaling $8.16 per meal. 

When considering just the cost of food, Western Line reported the lowest cost per meal of $0.65, with Laurel ($0.89) and West Jasper ($1.09) in second and third place, respectively. Nettleton reported a cost of $2.69 per meal, with Jefferson Davis ($2.57) and Clarksdale ($2.33) having similar expense rates. 

PEER suggested the administration of each district involved in the report review their meal programs to increase efficiency and service levels as they work toward cost savings.

One suggestion in the report for the Mississippi Department of Education was to work with school districts to increase breakfast participation rates.

The Legislature is expected to take a closer look at the meals offered within school cafeterias in the coming 2026 session. State Rep. Samuel Creekmore, Chairman of the House Public Health Committee, said last month the goal in that effort will be to ensure the meals served in schools are not contributing to the state’s obesity epidemic. 

“You can’t argue the fact that we are the 49th obese state in the country,” Creekmore said.

You can read the full PEER report titled “A FY 2023 Comparative Analysis of 50 Mississippi School Districts: Nutrition” below.