Eating breakfast is important to helping our keiki grow up strong, healthy and academically successful. While there are many benefits to eating breakfast, Hawaiʻi has dropped to 51st in the nation in school breakfast participation, according to a recent annual report by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC).

Studies have shown that keiki who eat breakfast have better attendance. They attend an average of 1.5 more days of school per year. Students do better in math. In fact, they average 17.5 percent higher in math test scores and are 20 percent more likely to graduate from high school.

The statistics are compelling, but too many of Hawaiʻi’s children are not taking advantage of breakfast in our school cafeterias. In fact, according to the FRAC report, fewer than 40 percent of children in Hawaiʻi ate school breakfast for every 100 that received a free or reduced-price school lunch last year. This is far below the national average of 57.5 per 100, making Hawaiʻi last in the nation for school breakfast participation among all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

We can change this trend together to give our students that important boost to help start their school days. A culture shift is needed by parents to make school breakfast a priority. This may require adjusting commute schedules or earlier bedtimes, but the academic benefits to students are immense and long-lasting.

It is up to all of us to ensure that our keiki have the nutrition they need to be academically successful and healthy. We need to all work together in our communities to make this happen.