WASHINGTON, March 6, 2006 - Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today recognized the celebration of National School Breakfast Week by thousands of students and schools around the country March 6-10. USDA's School Breakfast Program is available in 82,000 schools nationwide and serves 9.8 million children each day.

"Research shows a strong connection between starting the day with a good, nutritious breakfast and improved academic performance," Johanns said. "A healthy start is key and USDA is pleased to play a vital role."

The School Breakfast Program operates in public and private schools, along with residential child-care institutions and provides 50 million nutritious breakfasts per week to hungry children.

Agriculture Under Secretary Eric Bost will stress the importance of partnerships to improve school nutrition, during a School Breakfast Week event at St. Isidore Elementary School in Baton Rouge, La., on March 7th.

"It's vital that parents, educators, food service professionals, and students work together to promote the importance of a healthy breakfast this week and every week," he said, "so students enter the classroom ready to learn."

St. Isidore, St. Francis Xavier, and St. Theresa of Avila are the first three parochial elementary schools to achieve gold-level awards in USDA's Healthier US School Challenge.

USDA's Healthier US School Challenge sets standards for and encourages schools to take a leadership role in helping students learn how to make healthy eating and active lifestyle choices. Eating a nutritious diet, making healthy choices, being physically active every day, and getting preventative health screening are the four pillars that make up President Bush's HealthierUS initiative to help Americans live longer, better, and healthier lives.

Additional information about FNS' child nutrition programs is available at www.fns.usda.gov.