The Eldon R-1 School District will offer free breakfast to all students in grades K-8 starting at the beginning of this school year.
Eldon's Director of Food Services Shawndra Taylor said the district's upper elementary school school has been offering free breakfast for the past couple of years, which has worked well, and it was time to expand the program to all elementary and middle school students.
High school students also will continue to have the option to get breakfast, but they'll still have to pay for it, Taylor said.
Approximately 1,300 students will be able to receive free breakfast - with 1,800 students total in the district, 500 of whom are in high school, she said.
The district's free or reduced-price lunch-eligibility rate is approximately 63 percent, Taylor said, with the rate a little higher on the elementary level.
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is a standard indicator for schools of poverty among students.
Free breakfast will benefit not only families who couldn't afford it before - even when it basically cost $1, Taylor said - but also students who don't eat it because morning routines have gotten busy.
"Obviously, breakfast is the most important meal of the day," Taylor said.
Breakfast will be waiting in classrooms for students in grades K-3, and upper elementary and middle school students will walk through a line to pick up their meals, she said.
Cooler bags will be available in each classroom to keep items chilled for students who don't want to eat right away.
Breakfast will be served from 8-8:30 a.m.
The offerings for breakfast have to follow state guidelines, so that means there will be a whole grain item, dairy item, and a fruit or juice item. The 100 percent fruit juice can be offered two days a week, Taylor added.
The whole grain items can include cereal, muffins, toaster pastries, cereal bars, pancake sticks or toast with an omelette.
The fruit items could include applesauce, apple slices, oranges, bananas, pears or grapes. The fruit can be fresh or canned, Taylor said.
A protein serving is not required, but it can be served, she added.