The Bexley Board of Education voted on Dec. 14 to approve a pilot program to provide universal free breakfast to all students beginning Jan. 3, 2023 and lasting through the end of this school year.
Board members agreed with the plan proposal, which came about after district administrators met earlier this Fall to explore the possibility of free breakfast for all. Their discussions centered around topics of food security, the need to ensure all Bexley City Schools students have access to breakfast and lunch every day, and the recognition that food insecurity can hinder students academically, socially, and emotionally.
While the school district cannot fund universal free lunch with our current revenue streams, it is permitted by the Ohio Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fund breakfast.
This pilot program will ensure all Bexley City School students have access to breakfast through the end of the school year and will also allow us to collect data related to student food-security needs by tracking participation. The program also will provide an opportunity to properly survey our community at the district level to determine additional needs, particularly for families with income above the USDA threshold needed to qualify for free or reduced-price school meals.
The Bexley Board of Education will consider the success of this pilot program next summer.
See the Food Services page on the district website for additional information about the free-breakfast program.