BRIDGEPORT – Students at Bridgeport Exempted Village School District makes sure students start the day off with a full stomach. Every morning the middle and high school students look forward to breakfast delivered to their classroom door, and the cafeteria staff has earned recognition for their work.
The cafeteria staff are a recipient of the Breakfast Program of the Year Award from the Children’s Hunger Alliance, a statewide non-profit organization that works with many different agencies to combat childhood hunger.
Food Service Supervisor Donna Burlenski runs the cafeteria. She has taken the lead ensuring every child does not begin the school day hungry.
“Because we do an alternative breakfast instead of students just coming through the line and getting breakfast and ringing up and sitting out in the cafeteria, we pack their breakfasts, we deliver it to the classrooms, and every first period class middle school through high school sit in their classroom while they’re learning first period and eat their breakfast,” she said.
“It brings up participation more, because a lot of kids don’t want to eat soon as they get here, but by the time they get in first period and they’re sitting there, they all take their breakfast as they’re starting their day.”
Burlenski said they have offered the service for close to five years.
“Soon as COVID was over, we started doing that,” she said. “We’re serving anywhere from 430-500 breakfasts a day.”
She said the Children’s Hunger Alliance first became aware of Bridgeport Schools’ commitment to providing meals when an Alliance member visited the district during the COVID pandemic to see how cafeteria workers packed and delivered meals for families.
“Then he came back when we started doing breakfast in the classroom,” Burlenski said. District personnel were finding students’ learning was improving. “It just flourished from there.”
Burlenski said her staff always goes the extra mile. They find it rewarding to deliver baskets to each classroom.
“They love the students, and we’re a small school so my staff knows every child and their name.”
Cafeteria staff pack the breakfasts at the end of the day before they leave and check the rosters every morning. Burlenski said her staff have embraced the additional work so that the students get their meals in the most effective manner.
“They see the numbers go up and the students are eating.”
Superintendent Brent Ripley said free breakfasts was one of his goals when he first began at Bridgeport Schools seven years ago. At that time, the district was proving approximately 150 free breakfasts daily, but he and other leaders knew increased participation could benefit the students.
“The principals all bought in, and Mrs. Burlenski and her team rearranged how we did breakfast top to bottom so almost every kid eats. This way, each morning, each child is able to participate in our breakfast program.”
He said Burlenski afterward asked about free lunches, knowing there are a number of students in the population who qualify.
Ripley is proud of his cafeteria crew.
“The participation in free breakfast and free lunch has skyrocketed. The end result is less kids are going home hungry, more kids are being fed every day and it’s at no charge to the parents of any family that wants free breakfast or free lunch. It’s available to all student in our district,” he said.
“The board of education, myself and the treasurer, we’re thankful for Mrs. Burlenski and to her team for pushing forward in creative ways that we can get kids fed every morning and every lunch. She’s done great work, but also she’s led her team and her team has bought all-in. They’re all-in on feeding every kid as well. It just shows a heart of gratitude that they have to serve every student at Bridgeport.”
