Alternative school breakfast service models provide meals to students through a distribution method different from traditional cafeteria service, removing various obstacles that can prevent students from accessing school breakfast. Many barriers, such as late transportation, inconvenient meal service locations, and social stigma, prevent students from participating in traditional school breakfast processes. Alternative breakfast programs allow students and school divisions to overcome these barriers by providing breakfast after the school day begins. Service models include:

• Breakfast in the Classroom: Students eat breakfast in the classroom with their classmates and teacher. Breakfast can be served after the first bell or when students first arrive;

• Grab and Go: Students pick up breakfast meals from a central location as they arrive at school and eat in their classroom; or

• Second Chance Breakfast: Students receive breakfast during a break in the morning, typically after first period.

The 2024 Appropriation Act provides $1.074 million in state funds to fund an After-the-Bell Model breakfast programs are available for students on a voluntary basis to elementary, middle, and high schools. To provide programming, a school must have free or reduced lunch rates that exceeds 45 percent for the participating eligible school, and the school must commit to providing additional reimbursement for eligible meals served in the current traditional school breakfast program at all grade levels in any participating school. State reimbursement of five cents ($0.05) in elementary schools and ten cents ($0.10) in secondary schools per reimbursable meal served was allotted to each approved school in a local division (see Appendix A Item 125 C.29.c.1-3, Chapter 2 2024 Acts of Assembly). As is required by Chapter 2, the Department of Education collected required data from schools receiving funding for the alternative breakfast service model in program year 2023-2024.