School breakfast participation grows in state, local schools

NASHUA – Long before most people have gotten out of bed, Kathy Casey is at work, preparing whole-grain French toast, egg sandwiches and cereal for the students who will begin to file in by 7 a.m. Diners begin trickling in around 7 a.m., a few at a time walking into the Ledge Street Elementary School cafeteria and eyeing their breakfast choices before selecting a dish. By 7:30, the line is out the door, and dozens of students sit at the cafeteria’s tables, talking, laughing, even studying. “I like to see them come in and eat a healthy breakfast,” said Casey, who has worked as the cook at the elementary school for four years.