More Utah County students qualify for free, reduced meals
While the national economy struggles, all three school districts in Utah County have seen an increase in students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals over the past year, school district officials say. However, data shows less severe increases in this category for Utah County than many other parts of the nation.
Last year in the Provo School District, 40.5 percent of meals were served for free or a reduced cost. This year, it is up to 43.8 percent, district child nutrition director Jenilee McComb said. Alpine School District has also seen a moderate jump in free and reduced-price lunches served, increasing from 19.85 percent last year to just over 21 percent this year, according to Alpine School District food service director Jodi Vlam. Nebo School District supervisor of food services Bill Vest reported an increase of a little more than 1 percent, nudging the district’s total to about 30 percent.
Utah County’s relatively low unemployment rate has helped soften the blow of difficult financial circumstances, said Jim Robson, a labor market economist for the Utah Department of Workforce Services.
According to data gathered in October, a rough job market has cost Utah County about 2,300 jobs, or a total of 1.2 percent of its workforce, Robson said. Despite those figures, the county has an unemployment rate roughly half that of the national average — 3.2 percent compared with 6.5 percent, Robson said.
Like the unemployment rate, the increases in free or reduced-price lunches at Utah County schools haven’t been as big as the rest of the nation. In online data produced by several school districts from coast to coast, districts reported 34-73 percent of students qualifying for free or reduced lunches, depending on the district. Those same districts were each up 6-9 percent from last year’s statistics.
National numbers have not been figured for 2008, but 42.8 percent of lunches ¬ — and 75.6 percent of breakfasts — served under the National School Lunch Program in 2007 were offered for free or reduced costs. All of Utah County’s school district’s were below the national average in that category last year.
Qualifying for free or reduced-price school meals is based on household income. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service, students from families who make less than 130 percent of the poverty level for their family size can receive free school lunches, as well as breakfasts. Those who make between 131 and 185 percent of the poverty level qualify for reduced-price meals at school. Under the National School Lunch Program, reduced prices are the same nationwide: 40 cents for lunch and 30 cents for breakfast.
For the current school year, 130 percent of the poverty level is $27,560 for a family of four; 185 percent is $39,220.
Increasing costs of food, however, have forced a 25-cent price hike in Provo’s regular-priced school meals this year. Full-priced lunches are now $2 at secondary schools and $1.75 at the elementary schools, while breakfasts cost $1.25 at all of the district’s schools. Nebo school lunches are the same price, while Alpine charges $1.50 at elementary schools and $1.75 at secondary schools. Their breakfasts are 85 cents for the younger children, and $1 for middle school and older.
Alpine was the only district of the three that did not raise prices for the 2008-09 school year, although it will consider doing so for next year, Vlam said.
Considering the spike in food costs, it may make sense for students to eat a school lunch, rather than packing their own, Vlam said. Generally as the weather gets colder, the schools see an increase in students eating hot lunches, another name for the school-prepared meals. This year, that increase occurred earlier than usual, she said.
“Our lunch counts are up earlier, trendwise, than what we normally see,” Vlam said, although she did not have exact numbers on the increase.
With a district of about 27,000 students, Nebo serves 14,800 student lunches daily, accounting for nearly 55 percent of the student body. Five years ago, that number was around 48 percent, Vest said.
Alpine, the largest of the districts, saw an enrollment jump of about 2,500 students to roughly 62,000. A little over half of those ¬ — about 31,000 to 32,000 ¬ — are served school lunch in a given day, Vlam said.
Provo’s district enrollment increased by less than 200 to a total of just more than 13,300, according to McComb, who said the Provo district also seemed to have a greater number of students eating school-prepared meals, noting that government reimbursements actually cover a small portion of the “full-price” lunches.
“This is such an awesome program,” McComb said. “I’m so proud of it.”
In addition to affordability, the presence of foods that are more healthful and diverse may have increased the sales of school lunches, Vest said.
“We are offering students more fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, [which are] presented in an appetizing manner,” he said, citing the schools’ compliance with state regulations to provide a given amount of many different nutrients. “So we are providing a more balanced menu.
“I think the main thing is we’re very appreciative of the public supporting school lunch and school breakfast, which is one of the best ways to combat obesity.”
School-by-school statistics on the school lunch program for the current year will be compiled and published online at www.schools.utah.gov in December. Last year’s information is available at http://www.schools.utah.gov/cnp/Files/default.htm.
• Sam Scorup can be reached at 344-2561 or sscorup@heraldextra.com.
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