Virginia sees jump in school breakfast participation as absenteeism declines

An additional 32,000 Virginia students are now eating breakfast at school compared with 2023, according to a new analysis of state data released by No Kid Hungry Virginia. The group links the increase to policies rolled out under the Youngkin administration’s ALL in VA plan, which aims to curb chronic absenteeism.

During the 2024–2025 academic year, an average of 388,172 students participated in school breakfast statewide. Over the same period, chronic absenteeism fell to 14.8%, down from a pandemic-era high of 20.1% in the 2021–2022 school year.

No Kid Hungry Virginia’s analysis also places Richmond City Public Schools among the top 10 school divisions statewide for daily breakfast participation.

The data builds on gains from the prior school year. In 2023–2024, roughly 27,000 additional students participated in school breakfast, marking the largest year-over-year increase in more than a decade. Average daily participation that year was 383,750 students, as chronic absenteeism dropped by nearly 16% compared with the previous year.

A major factor cited in the report is the expansion of “Breakfast After the Bell,” which integrates breakfast into the school day by serving meals in classrooms or through kiosks rather than before the first bell. Advocates argue the model reduces barriers for students who arrive close to the start of the school day.

In addition to breakfast delivery models, participation has been boosted by policy changes enacted in 2022, including Virginia’s elimination of reduced-price school meals and increased use of the federal Community Eligibility Provision, which allows high-poverty schools to offer free meals to all students.

State officials and advocacy groups have pointed to the breakfast numbers as one contributor to improved attendance, though multiple factors influence absenteeism, including transportation, housing stability, and health. Earlier this year, Attendance Works, a national organization focused on school attendance policy, highlighted Virginia in a case study for what it described as data-informed progress in reducing chronic absenteeism.

No Kid Hungry Virginia Director Sarah Steely said the data shows school breakfast can be an effective attendance strategy when access barriers are reduced. State education officials have also emphasized nutrition as part of a broader “whole-child” approach tied to attendance and academic performance.