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本帖最后由 I'm_zhcn 于 2009-6-13 23:16 编辑
More students on free lunch programs
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-06-10-student-lunches_N.htm
By Peter Eisler and Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY
Thomas Young, 6, gets his lunch at school on June 8. At this Indianapolis school, 100% of the kids get free or reduced- price lunches.
WASHINGTON — Nearly 20 million children now receive free or reduced-price lunches in the nation's schools, an all-time high, federal data show, and many school districts are struggling to cover their share of the meals' rising costs.
Through February, nationwide enrollment in free school lunch programs was up 6.3% over the same time last year, to 16.5 million students, based on data from the U.S. Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), which subsidizes the programs. Participation in reduced-price lunch programs rose to 3.2 million students, the data show.
MORE: School systems juggle cost of free lunches
Demand in some states has climbed at an even greater rate: Enrollment in free lunch programs jumped almost 17% in California, and several states — Arizona, New Jersey, Utah and Vermont — also saw more than 10% growth.
Many new enrollees are believed to be first-timers from families hit by the recession, says FNS Administrator Julie Paradis. "These programs are intended to expand when the need is greater ... and we're pleased that they're working," she adds. "But certainly there are additional costs, and that is a concern at a time of scarce resources. Our state and local partners are stretched."
FIND MORE STORIES IN: George Miller
In Jackson, Miss., where 86% of all students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, "some of our students show up for breakfast and haven't had anything to eat since lunch the day before," says Mary Hill, executive director of food services.
The federal government pays schools $2.57 for each free lunch served. (Reimbursement for reduced-price lunches is lower to account for the share paid by students.) But the average food and labor cost for each meal is about $2.92, says the School Nutrition Association, which represents school lunch directors.
School systems pay the balance, sometimes with state help, and those costs are exploding, says association President Katie Wilson, director of meal programs for Onalaska, Wis., schools. Increased demand, rising food prices and insufficient federal reimbursements are "a perfect storm," Wilson says. "We absolutely want every eligible student to participate, but schools are losing money on every meal."
Preliminary school lunch data for March suggest that February's record demand may be dipping slightly. Still, Congress should give "serious consideration" to boosting the federal subsidy during the reauthorization this fall of the Child Nutrition Act, says Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., who chairs the House Education and Labor Committee. "For millions of children, this is the nutritional safety net."
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发表于 2009-6-12 07:39
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发表于 2009-6-13 01:21
