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School Lunch and Breakfast Participation: A Snapshot of Recent Trends. CRS Report R48515, Version 4

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Title: School Lunch and Breakfast Participation: A Snapshot of Recent Trends. CRS Report R48515, Version 4
Language: English
Authors: Kara Clifford Billings, Library of Congress, Congressional Research Service (CRS)
Source: Congressional Research Service. 2025.
Availability: Congressional Research Service. Web site: https://crsreports.congress.gov/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 52
Publication Date: 2025
Intended Audience: Policymakers
Document Type: Reports - Research
Descriptors: Lunch Programs, Breakfast Programs, Student Participation, Eligibility, Low Income Students, Nutrition, Educational Policy, Student Characteristics, Family Income, Instructional Program Divisions, Racial Differences, Ethnicity, Geographic Location, Federal Legislation, Child Health, COVID-19, Pandemics, Expenditures, Federal Aid, Poverty, Public Schools, Private Schools
Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act 2010
Abstract: The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP) provide federal funding for school lunches and breakfasts served to nearly 30 million children daily in close to 94,000 schools. Because federal spending on NSLP and SBP depends in part on student participation in school meals, it may be of interest to Congress to examine participation trends. In addition, policymakers may be interested in the number of children receiving free, reduced-price, and paid meals and whether eligible children are receiving the free and reduced-price meals for which they qualify. This report focuses primarily on the years since the most recent child nutrition reauthorization act, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-296). The report examines the shifts in program participants by category (free, reduced-price, paid) in recent years, including the shift to increased free meals and universal free meals policies. It also looks at changes in school adoption of NSLP and SBP. Finally, the report examines some characteristics of school meals participants, such as their household income levels, grade levels, and racial/ethnic backgrounds. State-level differences are highlighted when available. However, the report generally does not examine differences at the school or school district level, such as school/district size, resources, or urbanicity (though some data are presented on public versus private schools). While this report provides descriptive statistics on school meals participation and discusses changes in federal policy as they relate to school meals participation, it does not provide a causal analysis of why changes occurred.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED674677
Database: ERIC
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  Data: School Lunch and Breakfast Participation: A Snapshot of Recent Trends. CRS Report R48515, Version 4
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  Data: Congressional Research Service. Web site: https://crsreports.congress.gov/
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  Data: 52
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Lunch+Programs%22">Lunch Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Breakfast+Programs%22">Breakfast Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Participation%22">Student Participation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Eligibility%22">Eligibility</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Low+Income+Students%22">Low Income Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nutrition%22">Nutrition</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Policy%22">Educational Policy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Characteristics%22">Student Characteristics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Family+Income%22">Family Income</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Instructional+Program+Divisions%22">Instructional Program Divisions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Racial+Differences%22">Racial Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Ethnicity%22">Ethnicity</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Geographic+Location%22">Geographic Location</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Federal+Legislation%22">Federal Legislation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+Health%22">Child Health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Expenditures%22">Expenditures</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Federal+Aid%22">Federal Aid</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Poverty%22">Poverty</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Public+Schools%22">Public Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Private+Schools%22">Private Schools</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Healthy+Hunger+Free+Kids+Act+2010%22">Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act 2010</searchLink>
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  Data: The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP) provide federal funding for school lunches and breakfasts served to nearly 30 million children daily in close to 94,000 schools. Because federal spending on NSLP and SBP depends in part on student participation in school meals, it may be of interest to Congress to examine participation trends. In addition, policymakers may be interested in the number of children receiving free, reduced-price, and paid meals and whether eligible children are receiving the free and reduced-price meals for which they qualify. This report focuses primarily on the years since the most recent child nutrition reauthorization act, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-296). The report examines the shifts in program participants by category (free, reduced-price, paid) in recent years, including the shift to increased free meals and universal free meals policies. It also looks at changes in school adoption of NSLP and SBP. Finally, the report examines some characteristics of school meals participants, such as their household income levels, grade levels, and racial/ethnic backgrounds. State-level differences are highlighted when available. However, the report generally does not examine differences at the school or school district level, such as school/district size, resources, or urbanicity (though some data are presented on public versus private schools). While this report provides descriptive statistics on school meals participation and discusses changes in federal policy as they relate to school meals participation, it does not provide a causal analysis of why changes occurred.
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      – Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 52
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Lunch Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Breakfast Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Participation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Eligibility
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Low Income Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Nutrition
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Policy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Characteristics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Family Income
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Instructional Program Divisions
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Racial Differences
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Ethnicity
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Geographic Location
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Federal Legislation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Child Health
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Expenditures
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Federal Aid
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Poverty
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Private Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act 2010
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: School Lunch and Breakfast Participation: A Snapshot of Recent Trends. CRS Report R48515, Version 4
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              Y: 2025
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