The report by the nonprofit Food Research Action Center (FRAC) shows the number of Utah kids qualifying for free or reduced-price school lunch who also receive free breakfast increased 7.3 percent in the 2005-2006 school year compared with a year earlier.

That's good news, said Gina Cornia, director of Utahns Against Hunger, but it's dampened by the fact that only 32.8 percent of those eligible for free breakfast take advantage of the benefit, a percentage that ranks Utah 49th in the nation.

Cornia is at a loss to explain the low participation rate. Perhaps greater numbers of Utah children eat breakfast at home, but she doubts that's necessarily the case.

Utahns Against Hunger intends to research why participation lags so it can work with schools to get more students eating breakfast. Other states have increased participation rates by offering "grab-and-go" meals children don't have to arrive early for to sit down to eat, Cornia said. Another option may be to serve breakfast in classrooms or during a break after the school day has already begun.

FRAC President Jim Weill said the reasons to increase participation in school breakfast programs are numerous.

"[It's] probably the cheapest and fastest way to improve children's learning and health, improve attendance and, of course, reduce hunger," he said.

Cornia believes eating breakfast is so important in enhancing learning, improving behavior and reducing childhood obesity that she'd like to see the state require all schools to make breakfast available. Currently in Utah, 81.3 percent of schools that offer school lunch also offer breakfast.

Barring such a mandate, which she considers unlikely, she said Utahns Against Hunger will continue to work with state and school officials to strengthen school breakfast programs and develop ways to increase participation.

Luann Elliott, Utah State Office of Education director of child nutrition, had not seen the report Thursday, and deferred questions to Nancy Denton, who oversees school lunch programs. Denton did not immediately return phone calls.

* To read the full report on school breakfast programs, visit www.frac.org.