ST. REGIS – The school breakfast program in St. Regis was recently recognized as one of the most effective in the state at providing an essential service to young people in the community.

According to a press release by the Montana Foodbank Network, the St. Regis K-12 School District was among the top twenty breakfast program participating school districts in Montana. St. Regis High School Principal Joe Steele said this was the fourth year in a row the facility has been recognized as one of the best in the state. He also said the people who deserve the credit for the achievement are the ones who actually prepare the food.

“Dawn Palmer does a wonderful job,” Steele said. “She provides lots of options for our students. She provides lots of fruits and vegetables. She runs a very good program and we are very proud of her and her accomplishments. We have 76 kids who participate and we hope to increase that next year.”

According to information in the press release, the Montana Foodbank Network (MFBN) is an organization that works to increase access to breakfast and other meals to children who are at risk of hunger in the state of Montana. The MFBN states that eating “breakfast has a positive impact on children’s ability to learn, classroom behavior and overall health. Yet many students, especially from low-income families, often show up to school without starting the day with breakfast. The School Breakfast Program allows students who are not able to eat breakfast at a home a chance to participate in this important meal.”