COMMUNITY ELIGIBILITY FOR SCHOOL MEALS IS EXPANDING

The School Nutrition Program’s Community Eligibility provision allows high-poverty schools to eliminate school meal applications and offer breakfast and lunch to all of their students at no charge. Over 4,000 high-poverty schools in 11 states have already implemented community eligibility, and the White House estimates that 18,000 more will be eligible for the coming school year.

Community eligibility has led to significantly more children eating breakfast and lunch at school.  Daily lunch participation rose 13% over two years in schools in Illinois, Kentucky, and Michigan that adopted the Community Eligibility. And daily breakfast participation in these schools rose 25%.  As a result, 29,000 more children were eating breakfast daily.

 

Source: Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, 4/14/14, Community Eligibility