Most public schools make breakfast available to students, but on average only 21% of students participate. Establishing a free breakfast program serving all students could increase participation but would be costly to implement. The cost of implementing a free breakfast program would exceed breakfast revenues for most district school food service programs. We estimate that the revenue shortfalls of these districts would total $33 million to $69 million for the 2010-11 school year. However, such a program could be implemented within projected revenues in many districts' high poverty schools in which 80% or more of students are eligible for free or reduced price meals. Available federal reimbursements, commodities, and state general revenue for these schools would meet or exceed the costs of providing breakfast meals.
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