Students Eligible for Free/Reduced School Lunch
Date posted: 05/20/2009
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The National School Lunch Program is a federally-assisted meal program that provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. National income guidelines determine the eligibility of students based on their families' household size and income. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) are eligible for free meals. Those with incomes between 130 percent and 185 percent of the FPG are eligible for reduced-price meals. The FPG changes annually to account for shifts in the Consumer Price Index.
For the 2008-09 school year, a family of four with an annual household income of $39,220 or less qualified for reduced-cost lunches. A family of four with annual income of $27,560 or less qualified for free lunches.
What this chart shows: K-12 Students Eligible for Free or Reduced Lunch: Colorado & Larimer County School Districts, 2004-05 to 2008-09
Data Source: Colorado Department of Education
What these data tell us:
There was a steady increase (11.5%) in the number of K-12 students eligible for free and reduced lunches, statewide, between 2004-05 and 2008-09. The increased percentage in Larimer County, as a whole, was somewhat lower, about 2%. There is no specific single reason for the larger increase seen between 2005 and 2006 in the Poudre School District, although contributors may include an increased effort to educate parents about the program, a downturn in the manufacturing industry and an increase in the number of single parents in that area. Poudre School District has a large variation in the percentage of students eligible for the free and reduced lunch program among its schools, with some schools having fewer than 3% of the students eligible and others as high as 81%. Many of the schools with a high proportion of eligible students showed large increases.While overall enrollment numbers in Larimer County increased by 1,102 students from 2004 to 2008, eligibility for the free and reduced lunch program grew by 1,416 students.
The majority of schools in Larimer County participate in the School Breakfast Program as well.
Additional Information:
On Compass -
- Affordable Rental Costs
- Children in Families- Single and Two Parents
- Enrollment by School District
- Federally Subsidized Housing
- Food Stamps
- Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP)
- Median Family Income
- Poverty
- Self-Sufficient Wages
- Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
Outside Compass -
- Colorado Department of Education - Colorado School Nutrition Program
- Federal Poverty Guidelines
- Federal Poverty Guidelines Federal Poverty GuidelinesFederal Poverty GuidelinesFederal Poverty Guidelines
- Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a report published every five years by the Department of Health and Human Services & the Department of Agriculture serves as the basis for Federal food and nutrition education programs.
- Park School District
- Poudre School District
- Poverty USA, contains educational and advocacy information.
- Thompson School District
- 'Tour of Poverty', the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website hosts a slide presentation that illustrates the budgeting choices facing families in poverty.
- United States Department of Agriculture - National School Lunch Program
Standards or Targets: N/A
Data Table:
K-12 Students Eligible for Free/Reduced School Lunch Program
|
Year |
Colorado |
Park |
Poudre |
Thompson |
||||
|
Enrollment |
% Eligible |
Enrollment |
% Eligible |
Enrollment |
% Eligible |
Enrollment |
% Eligible |
|
|
2004-05 |
745,262 |
32.1% |
1,240 |
23.9% |
24,428 |
20.6% |
14,683 |
27.2% |
|
2005-06 |
757,116 |
33.6% |
1,242 |
23.2% |
24,629 |
20.6% |
14,774 |
26.5% |
|
2006-07 |
769,472 |
34.3% |
1,250 |
24.2% |
24,817 |
25.0% |
14,976 |
27.4% |
|
2007-08 |
776,767 |
34.8% |
1,206 |
24.7% |
25,610 |
21.9% |
15,305 |
27.5% |
|
2008-09 |
790,163 |
35.8% |
1,156 |
28.7% |
25,310 |
24.3% |
14,987 |
28.4% |