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Schools in Greenville County Offering Free Breakfasts to All 75,000 Students this Year

Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School
Greenville County School District
Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher Middle School
Greenville County School Board Chair Lisa Wells.
Credit Russ McKinney/SC Public Radio
Greenville County School Board Chair Lisa Wells.

    The Greenville County School District, the state's largest district, is offering universal free breakfasts to all students attending the 92 Greenville County Schools this year.  Taking advantage of a program enacted by Congress in 2010, the district is among a number of districts in the state finding ways to offer all of its' students free breakfasts.  Research shows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day to foster learning in school students.

Greenville County began its' free breakfasts program two years ago and expanded it to make it available to all students at the beginning of this school year.  State Superintendent of Education Mollie Spearman says she hopes the Greenville program can serve as a model for other school districts in the state.

Russ McKinney has 30 years of experience in radio news and public affairs. He is a former broadcast news reporter in Spartanburg, Columbia and Atlanta. He served as Press Secretary to former S.C. Governor Dick Riley for two terms, and for 20 years was the chief public affairs officer for the University of South Carolina.