Students Receive Free Breakfast at Zanesville Schools

Each day there are many kids who don’t get the opportunity to have a breakfast before school.

But research suggests that having a meal early in the day can make someone more actively engaged in education. For nearly a decade now Zanesville City Schools have participated in a free meal program funded by the USDA. During this school year the district has served 158,048 free meals to its students at no cost to the school.

“You see the smiles on their faces and you know they’re happy and they’re glad to be there,” Food Services Supervisor, Vicki Wheeler said.

Not only are the students fed, but Wheeler said the performance in the classroom has also increased throughout the years of this program.

“The numbers have gone up. That seems like it’s every year, there’s less kids getting sick, going to the nurses office for headaches, and there’s more concentrating in the classrooms,” Wheeler said. “They don’t get up and run around because they have a full belly, and they’re ready to sit down and concentrate on what they’re there to do.”

The breakfast starts about 20 minutes before the first bell rings.