HCS offering free breakfast for all students

Hardin County Schools offers to all students a free breakfast every day when school resumes from spring break April 16 through the rest of the school year on May 16.

All HCS elementary school students already receive free breakfast; however, the offer will be extended to all middle school and high school students.

“There are numerous studies that indicate when students get their day started with a healthy breakfast, their potential for learning is greatly improved,” HCS Superintendent Nannette Johnston said in a district news release. “Food is our fuel. So many classroom barriers are erased when a student has had something to eat.”

The HCS Child Nutrition Department hopes to make this a permanent program. If enough students participate and choose to eat free breakfast, the district will be able to continue serving free breakfast to all students, according to the release.

“We are constantly looking at ways to help our students succeed in the classroom,” HCS Child Nutrition Director Mary Kuhn said in the release. “We hope our middle and high school students will take advantage of this program. The students will certainly be able to tell a difference in their ability to think and learn.”

“This pilot program comes along at a great time,” Johnston added.  “The end of the year brings a lot of stress and fatigue to students who need to stay up later.  Projects that are due, papers that must be completed, testing and this year’s end-of-course assessments fuel the need to create even greater stability in a child’s life. Free breakfast is a wonderful way to gain that stability.”