The Juneau School District's free universal breakfast program, providing nourishment to hundreds of students daily, is facing an uncertain future after the next semester. While the program has been lauded for its convenience and impact on student well-being, decreasing community donor support threatens its long-term sustainability.
Randy Pierce, the head cook at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé, prepares breakfast for students on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Clarise Larson/KTOO)The smell of maple syrup and savory sausages filled the air at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé on Tuesday morning. It was breakfast time and Claire Snyder, a junior at the high school, walked down the cafeteria line to grab a bite to eat before class.
“Usually sometimes I don’t have enough time to get something at home, or I just forget,” she said. “I’m really good at forgetting things.” The district’s free universal breakfast program means students don’t have to start the day with an empty stomach and families don’t have to worry about paying for it. The Juneau School Board voted on Tuesday to extend the benefit for another semester — but after that, its future is uncertain. Taelyn Eriksen, a freshmen at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé, orders breakfast on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Clarise Larson/KTOO) “It’s really convenient and nice for people who just don’t have enough time, and at least they can start with breakfast, because starting with breakfast gives them at least something throughout the day,” Snyder said. Snyder is one of about 60 students who eat breakfast at the high school – and one of 650 students who eat it across the district. It’s free to every student. Schools across the country invest in meals because studies“As much as we would like to think that kids go home and have nutritious food, we know that that doesn’t always happen,” said Elizabeth Seitz, who oversees the district’s breakfast and lunch programs. Kristina Brown, a cook at Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé, slices oranges for students on Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (Clarise Larson/KTOO) Seitz said the breakfast program has been in place for nearly a decade. Community donors help keep it free, but support has decreased over tim
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