The report finds that more than half of schoolchildren from pre-K all the way to high school seniors are eligible for a federal program that pays for free school lunches; some schools have even expanded it to include free breakfast. In order to participate in that program, federal guidelines say a family of four can’t make more than $23,850 a year.
Researchers also found that in nearly half – 21 – of the states, 50 percent of the public school students were eligible for the subsidized meals. A staggering 70 percent of them come from low-income families, and in 40 of the 50 states, poor students make up about 40 percent of the student population.
A handful of states have the dubious distinction of being tops for poverty among school-age children: a majority of the country’s poor students – nearly three out of four – live in Mississippi, followed by New Mexico with 68 percent, and Louisiana with 65 percent. Rounding out the top five are Arkansas and Oklahoma, tied at 61 percent.
New Hampshire had the lowest percentage of students living in poverty – 27 percent.
Not surprisingly, states with the highest rates of student poverty spend less per student than the national average of a little over $10,000 per student, a situation the foundation says is alarming.
“Without improving the educational support that the nation provides its low income students – students with the largest needs and usually with the least support – the trends of the last decade will be prologue for a nation not at risk, but a nation in decline,” says SEF Vice President Steve Suitts.
There's something really wrong when most public school children are below the poverty line.
— Michael Low (@mlow29) January 17, 2015
