School districts now offering free breakfast for all grade levels

Across the borderland, parents can rest happy their kids will be well fed, for free.

There’s comfort food like burritos, pop tarts, and breakfast sandwiches. Everything is USDA-approved and healthy choices like cereal and fruits and veggies are offered.

Now all students, from elementary to high school, within Socorro’s district will get to eat a free, satisfying breakfast before starting their day.

“You know studies have proven that eating breakfast helps feed our brain,” said Shelley D. Chenausky, director of SISD’s Child Nutritional Services. “It helps us to test better, better math scores, behavior, less absences.”

What began at SISD as a test program at Montwood and Socorro High, was successful enough to expand to every high school, in addition to breakfast in the classroom offered to all elementary and middle schools. SISD is using federal funds to pay for the breakfasts, without affected its bottom line.

Going west, Ysleta ISD also provides free breakfast for elementary and middle schoolers. This year it’s are offering free breakfast to high schoolers too. At both SISD and YISD, parents will still need to apply if they want free lunches for their kids.

This year El Paso ISD decided to offer free breakfast and free lunch for every elementary, middle and high school that has a majority of its students in the low-income bracket. That includes 56 campuses (see below).

SISD’s nutrition director says she and her team spent months working on the logistics of bringing free breakfast to every student. In the test schools, she said the program was a success, success being measured by how many students participate. And with board approval last month, she excited about the program.

“We were so excited to know that we can benefit our students,” Chenausky said. “It’s a great way to support our kids, our community. And to have our students ready for a great days learning.”

EPISD schools that provide free breakfast and lunch:

Elementary
– About Face
– Alta Vista
– Aoy
– Beall
– Bliss
– Bonham
– Bradley
– Burleson
– Burnet
– Clardy
– Clendenin
– Coldwell
– Collins
– Cooley
– Crockett
– Crosby
– Douglass
– Dowell
– Fannin
– H R Moye
– Hart
– Hawkins
– Hillside
– Johnson
– Lamar
– Lee El
– Logan
– Moreno
– Newman
– Powell
– Rivera
– Roberts
– Rusk
– Schuster
– Stanton
– Travis
– Vilas
– Whitaker
– Zavala

Middle
– Armendariz
– Bassett
– Canyon Hills
– Lafarelle
– Charles
– Guillen
– Henderson
– Magoffin
– Terrace Hills
– Wiggs

High
– Austin
– Bowie
– Chapin
– Irvin
– Jefferson
– CCTA
– Telles Academy