They say Brownsville can make this work because there is little need for the elaborate tracking system needed to identify students eligible for federal reimbursements and collect money from others. But, other districts like Beaumont, El Paso, Spring and Mt. Pleasant have enjoyed considerable success with similar breakfast programs where more students pay for their meals. In Mt. Pleasant ISD, cafeteria staff offer a second breakfast period during the high school activity period. If a student fails to eat during the first breakfast period, they have the opportunity to eat during the activity period. Many breakfast items are prepared from scratch and are popular among students and faculty.
Students benefit from extra nutrition while the district enjoys increased revenues.
Similarly, El Paso ISD offers breakfast on TAAS days to its elementary students. El Paso believes that providing breakfast can mean the difference between success and failure for some marginal students. Hungry or poorly fed children are not as apt to learn. To get the nutrition message out often involves educating teachers, principals, administrators, parents, and students. Some school districts, such as El Paso and Spring, have nutrition education programs to help students and parents understand why they need foods from the basic food groups, and the effects of excessive fats and sugar in the diet.