PORT GIBSON — Port Gibson High School beat out more than 300 other schools in the state to earn the $1,000 and the second place prize for the Mississippi Breakfast Challenge.

The award recognizes Port Gibson High School’s cafeteria staff, school administrators and students for increasing school breakfast participation by 6.375 percent from 2014 to 2015 between the months of September and October.

Claiborne County Child Nutrition Director Ronda Stacker said the increased student participation in breakfast was due in large part to encouragement from Port Gibson High School Principal Eddwin Smith and other school officials.

“Principal Smith is very supportive of breakfast and encourages students to participate every morning,” said Stacker. “The school has incorporated innovative breakfast strategies, such as surveying students to determine their favorite breakfast items, incorporating favorites into the school menu and ‘Fuel Up with Milk’ promotions that encouraged students to take milk with every meal at school.”

Encouragement came from all levels of school staff and administration, Stacker said.

“With the prize money, we plan to purchase additional smart snacks and provide them to students at no cost,” Stacker added.

SUDIA School Health and Wellness Manager Stephanie Yow said she has been impressed with the strategies Port Gibson High School and other Mississippi schools have used to encourage students to eat more breakfast.

“I am so pleased with the levels of participation we had in the Mississippi Breakfast Challenge,” Yow said. “There were a total of 313 schools across the state that participated. Mississippi was chosen for the contest because almost a third of the children—28.7 percent—are living in food-insecure households and school nutrition programs help provide the needed foundation for academic success.”