According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children who don’t get enough to eat and are routinely hungry are more likely to have lower grades and higher rates of absenteeism. They are also more likely to repeat a grade at school and have a greater inability to focus, as compared to students who regularly get enough to eat.
In contrast, studies show that students who eat breakfast at school through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) School Breakfast Program—which is offered for free to all HPS students—typically have higher academic grades and score better on standardized tests, are less likely to be absent, and have better memories and stronger cognitive performance, compared to students who do not eat school breakfasts provided by the program. In contrast, students who skip breakfast in general are less alert and pay less attention, and they struggle more with remembering and processing complex visual information and problem solving.