Developing Your School’s Attendance Team and Strategies: Making a Case for the Lunch Lady and School Lunch Programs

By: Shelneka Adams-Marsalone May 29, 2025

As we continue to seek strategies for reducing chronic absenteeism across the United States, it is crucial that our research explores the underlying reasons why students are present in school. When expressing moments of nostalgia, many millennials can drift back to a time in which the cafeteria pizza was rectangular, didn’t smell quite like Pizza Hut, but still hit the spot. On the days it was served, the cafeteria was filled with the clatter of plates, kids dancing to the rhythm of each chew, and the underlying theme “…today was a good day.” 

Those were the days no one wanted to miss. And who do you think sets that vibe; creates an atmosphere in which the aromas might remind you of grandma’s kitchen and the stern voice that ushers you through the lunch lines still feels comforting? It’s none other than your neighborhood school lunch lady! She is a part of the community. She’s probably watched her own children matriculate through the school of the cafeteria she serves. She knows which first grader needs an extra helping of lasagna because she knows that child’s circumstances. She possesses data. She should be at the table.

Today, some students cite breakfast and lunch as one of their motivations for attending school. Numerous studies have demonstrated that implementing food programs such as Breakfast After the Bell and universal free meal initiatives can lead to a reduction in chronic absenteeism. In 2019, No Kid Hungry Center for Best Practices sponsored a study to evaluate the effectiveness of Breakfast After the Bell programs in decreasing absenteeism. This research comprised both state-level and national analyses. The national findings revealed that participation in Breakfast in the Classroom, a form of Breakfast After the Bell, was associated with a 5 percentage point reduction in the number of absent days among young elementary school students.

Areba Young, Lead Cook at The Dunham School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, says, “Nutrition is key! When a student comes to school and misses breakfast, it can ruin their whole day.” Research backs this anecdotal fact. Students who have access to a good breakfast have better academic outcomes as their attention is improved and they make fewer errors. Breakfast also helps to reduce stomach aches, headaches, and fatigue, physical ailments that can interfere with learning (Wolf et al, 2000). These physical ailments can also contribute to absenteeism. We all know at least one student who has avoided going to school or has been checked out early due to a headache or a “tummy” ache. 

To increase school attendance, we must identify barriers, consider motivations, look at the research, and implement relevant student-centered interventions. Lack of access to nutritious food can be a barrier and free universal food programs offered to all students can be a viable intervention. As schools look to create attendance teams, they should consider those who can support their attendance initiatives. Your local lunch lady not only brings data to the table, as she most likely lives in the community she serves but actually prepares the proverbial table in which students are empowered by low-sodium chicken nuggets and macaroni and ready to learn. 

Share your thoughts! What was your favorite meal served at school? Have you observed a difference in the behaviors of students based on what the cafeteria was serving that day? Do more students show up to school when a popular item is on the menu? And most importantly, have you taken the time to thank a lunch lady today?

No Kid Hungry. (2019). A Study on Chronic Absenteeism and Breakfast After the Bell. https://bestpractices.nokidhungry.org/resource/study-chronic-absenteeism-and-breakfast-after-bell

Wolfe, P. & Burkman, M.A. & Streng, K. (2000). The science of nutrition. Educational Leadership, 57. 54-59. 

About We Got Goals, LLC

Shelneka Adams-Marsalone is the Founder and Lead Consultant of We Got Goals, LLC (WGG). At We Got Goals, “Creating a Culture of Being Present,” means more than attendance. It means helping schools and organizations create atmospheres in which all stakeholders can show up authentically and be actively engaged. WGG supports education and organization leaders with developing multi-tiered systems of support to address attendance and engagement. Through incorporating initiatives that focus on student engagement, family engagement, and community engagement - The Triad of Engagement, data analysis, and assisting leaders with developing a strategic framework, WGG guides leaders through the mysterious void in which students disappear…chronic absenteeism.