RELEASE: Wichita Public Schools Breakfast Hero Winner 2019

Washington, DC – The national anti-hunger campaign No Kid Hungry has announced five winners of its 2019 Breakfast Hero contest. This year’s inspiring line up of champions includes educators and administrators from school districts across the country who have been nominated by members of their local community for going above and beyond to ensure their students are Powered By Breakfast.  

One of the five national winners is a team award for Wichita Public Schools. This school year, Wichita Public Schools have started innovative breakfast delivery models at 10 schools across the district, resulting in 1,100 additional students eating breakfast each day.  The award recognized the following individuals who have been instrumental in implementing breakfast after the bell: Food Service Director David Paul; Secondary School Supervisor Jeff Falkner; and cafeteria mangers Travis Folds, (East High School), Leesa Morgan (South High School), Kay Scott (West High School), and Amy Steward (North High School). 

The leadership of the Food Service Director David Paul has been instrumental to ensuring more kids are starting their day with breakfast, according to the Kansas State Department of Education (KDSE). But David is quick to credit his team, particularly the beyond the scenes work of Secondary School Supervisor Jeff Falkner, who was charged with the successful implementation of the program. Jeff in turn points to the hard work of the cafeteria managers at the district’s four high schools who have increased breakfast participation across the board by offering “second chance” breakfast from carts located conveniently throughout the schools. “David and his team are using the momentum and success from the first semester to reach out to other schools within the district,” said Jill Ladd with KSDE.  “They want to ensure more students start their day with a healthy breakfast so they’re fueled and ready to learn!” 1 in every 5 kids in Kansas face hunger; 76% of students in Wichita Public Schools are eligible for free or reduced price meals. 

School breakfast is an energy source for kids across the nation. Research shows that hunger has long-term ramifications on children, including lower test scores, weaker attendance rates, and a higher risk of hospitalizations and chronic diseases. No Kid Hungry and its partners focus on school breakfast as a critical way to end childhood hunger.

Accessing traditional cafeteria breakfast service can be challenging for many kids. Breakfast after the bell provides breakfast in a way that is more convenient and accessible to students, resulting in more kids starting the day ready to learn. 

“Hungry kids can’t learn, and kids who can’t learn can’t reach their full potential,” said Lisa Davis, senior vice president of Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Campaign. “Thanks to everyday heroes like the amazing folks we’re recognizing today, many more kids across the country are getting the breakfast fuel they need every day.”