Do Schools Have the Capacity to Provide Free Meals to Every Student?

Michah W. Rothbart, Jeehee Han and Zac Reeves
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Michah W. Rothbart: Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University, 426 Eggers Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244, https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/research/center-for-policy-research
Jeehee Han: Texas A&M
Zac Reeves: Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University, 426 Eggers Hall, Syracuse, NY 13244, https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/research/center-for-policy-research

No 17, Center for Policy Research Policy Briefs from Center for Policy Research, Maxwell School, Syracuse University

Abstract: Over 20 million students nationally attend schools that offer universal free meals (UFM). Advocates argue that UFM increases school meal participation, decreases stigma, and reduces administrative costs for schools. Similarly, Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) distributes breakfast to students after the bell, which increases participation and potentially decreases stigma. However, student participation remains far from universal. This brief summarizes the findings from a study using data from New York City (NYC) public schools between 2011-2014 to analyze the effectiveness of UFM and BIC at increasing student school breakfast and lunch participation in capacity-constrained schools. The authors find that both UFM and BIC increase school meal participation, but UFM is less effective in schools that share buildings with other schools. Conversely, BIC is just as effective in such schools. Neither programs’ effectiveness appears to be compromised in overcrowded schools.

Keywords: Administrative burden; school co-location; school meal participation; universal free meals; Breakfast in the Classroom (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 4 pages
Date: 2025-01
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