Manatee students will soon get free breakfast at school "as a means of support during state and national testing," officials said.

Starting Monday, March 2, Manatee District schools will serve free breakfast to all students.

However, the free meal isn’t being offered to help parents. School leaders have decided to add the morning meal to the schedule to help students during the upcoming testing season.

According to the School Nutrition Association, children who eat breakfast at school start the day ready to learn, which results in higher test scores and better classroom behavior.

“Too many children are showing up at school hungry, and we know that when students are hungry it impacts their ability to perform and to learn," said Sandra Ford, director of food and nutrition services. "We want our students to be at their best during the upcoming testing season, so that’s why we are offering the free breakfast program to all students.”

Ford said they offered free breakfast during the FCAT exams last year and saw improvements. She said this year, since testing dates vary, they decided it would be beneficial to serve the morning meals for a longer period of time.

Manatee District schools will serve free breakfast to all students for the remainder of the school year.

School leaders will review the data and participation at the end of the year. The results will determine if they offer the free breakfast program again next year.

The program will not cost the district anything. It is a federally funded program paid for by reimbursements from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the district’s Food and Nutrition Services Fund.

The Manatee County School District’s breakfast program offers omelets, fruit, yogurt, whole grain bagels, toast and banana bread, milk and 100 percent juice, as well as other nutritious items.

Every breakfast meets federal nutrition standards limiting fat, calories, sodium.

The kickoff for the free breakfast program will coincide with National School Breakfast Week, which runs from Monday, March 2, to Friday, March 6.

National School Breakfast Week is a weeklong celebration aimed at increasing awareness of the School Breakfast Program among students and parents.

For a look at the daily breakfast and lunch options, visit: www.manatee.nutrislice.com.