2010 Local Data: More Kids Qualify for Free or Reduced Price Meals

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In almost every California county, the percentage of public school students eligible for the free/reduced price meal program increased from 2008 to 2010, according to newly updated data. More than 3.4 million public school students in California were eligible for this program in 2010.

In order to qualify for the free/reduced price meal program, a child’s family income must fall below 185% of the federal poverty level, which was $40,793 for a family of four in 2010. This indicator from the California Department of Education, widely considered a proxy measure for poverty, includes 2010 figures for school districts and counties statewide.

• Students Eligible to Receive Free or Reduced Price Meals: Numbers | Percents
  
  
• By Eligibility Status (Not Eligible, Reduced-Price Program, Free Meal Program): Numbers | Percents  
  
  
• Blog Post: Poverty Linked to Wide Array of Child Health Issues, Parent Survey Shows

Regional/Local Breakdowns

Following are local breakdowns for the state’s most populous regions. See data for other regions (you can customize your regions by using the “choose counties and school districts” box).

Los Angeles:
More than one million Los Angeles County public school students – nearly two of every three public school students in the county – were eligible for free/reduced price school meals in 2010.
School District Data

Other Southern California Counties:
Imperial County has one of the highest eligibility rates in the state (73%). Across these seven Southern California counties, nearly 1.1 million children were eligible for the program in 2010, an 11% increase over 2008.
School District Data, by County:
Imperial | Orange | Riverside | San Bernardino | San Diego | Santa Barbara | Ventura

Central Valley:
The Central Valley, hard hit by the recession, includes two counties – Merced and Tulare – that have the highest rates statewide of eligibility for this program.
School District Data, by County:
Fresno | Kern | Kings | Madera | Mariposa | Merced | San Benito | San Joaquin | Stanislaus | Tulare

Bay Area:
While the Bay Area has a lower percentage of children who are eligible than elsewhere in California – all counties but SF are below the statewide average – about 35,000 additional public school students in the Bay Area were eligible for the program in ’10 than in ‘08, a nearly 10% increase.
School District Data, by County:
Alameda | Contra Costa | Marin | Napa | San Francisco | San Mateo | Santa Clara | Santa Cruz | Solano | Sonoma

Sacramento:
Eligibility for the program has grown by 12% from 2008 to 2010. 
School District Data

What These Data Tell Us About Low-Income Children in California

• In 21 California counties – including heavily populated Los Angeles, Fresno, and San Bernardino counties – more than 60% of public school students are eligible for the free/reduced price meal program. Across the state, 56% of public school students were eligible for the program in ‘10, compared to 54% in ’09 and 51% in ’08.
  
  
• From 2008 to 2010, 281,696 more public school students in California were eligible to receive free/reduced price meals, roughly comparable with the entire child population of the city of San Diego. This represents a 9% increase in statewide eligibility over the three-year period.
  
  
• In 2010, about 240 California school districts – nearly one-quarter of school districts statewide - had eligibility rates of higher than 75%. That’s up from roughly 180 school districts in 2007. See a map of data for all school districts.
  

Perspective on These Data

• Policy Implications for Free/Reduced Price School Meals
• Why This Issue Matters to the Well Being of Children
• Related Research & Resources
  
  

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