Board moves to extend free breakfast after November pilot showed large uptick in participation

The South Plainfield Board of Education approved a motion to extend a free breakfast program for the remainder of the 2025–26 school year after district presenters described a large participation increase during a November pilot.

A district presenter told the board that 15,895 students participated in the free breakfast program in November, an increase of 3,755 students from the previous month. The presenter said the district participates in the Federal Meals Program and receives meal reimbursements that would offset some, but not all, of the cost of providing free breakfast districtwide.

Board discussion focused on the difference between breakfast and lunch reimbursement formulas; the presenter said the reimbursement structure for lunch does not make a districtwide free-lunch rollout feasible at this time. The presenter moved to extend free breakfast for the remainder of the 2025–26 school year and the motion was seconded. The board called the question and multiple members responded in the affirmative; the transcript records the motion being carried and the item placed on the record as approved.

Board materials and remarks indicated the district will continue to monitor participation and costs and encouraged families to complete free- and reduced-price meal applications so the district can capture available state and federal funding.

Next steps: staff will implement the extended free-breakfast plan for the remainder of the 2025–26 year and report back to the board on fiscal impacts and participation trends.