Forest Hills Board approves districtwide breakfast program for 2025-26 school year

The Forest Hills Board of Education voted by voice to operate a school breakfast program at all elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and the district transition center for the 2025-26 school year following a required public hearing.

A staff member told the board the hearing was required because the district’s free-and-reduced-price-lunch count is below the 20% threshold that automatically triggers universal breakfast. “We have less than 20% of, free and reduced lunch count and so we're required to host a meeting, related to the breakfast program,” the staff member said. The staff member also reported that in the 2024-25 school year the district’s participation rate in the breakfast program was about 9% and that the district “served approximately 1,100,000 meals throughout the school year.”

The hearing was held to allow the board to consider operating the breakfast program districtwide so the district can participate in new state funding that provides free meals for all students if districts meet certain requirements. The staff member explained that to participate in the new state funding the district “must operate a school breakfast program in all schools.” No members of the public spoke during the hearing.

A motion was made to operate the breakfast program at all buildings for the 2025-26 school year and was approved by a voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the meeting transcript. The board chair then closed the breakfast program public hearing and moved to the next agenda item.

The staff member said the district plans to continue the meal program for 2025-26 but noted that any changes to state budget decisions would require bringing revised recommendations back to the board. The board did not record additional directions, conditions or amendments to the motion during the meeting.