Eligible Students Missing Free Breakfasts

New York City ranks last in a list of 26 urban school districts when it comes to getting qualified children to participate in the free school breakfast program, according to the Food Research and Action Center, a national nonprofit anti-hunger advocacy group.
The center’s report, which analyzed data for the 2010-2011 school year, shows that fewer than 40 percent of New York City students who qualify for free or reduced lunch are also eating a free breakfast at school.
The Department of Education says about 74 percent of the city’s 1.1 million school children qualify for the lunch program.
Nationally, about 48 percent of students who qualify for a free or reduced lunch are eating a free breakfast at school, according to the report. The Food Research and Action Center says an achievable goal in large, urban districts would be reaching at least 70 percent of those students.
Source: Nytimes