How many students qualify for free breakfast, lunch in Modesto City Schools?

For some Modesto children, the free meal available at their school could be their only nutritious meal of the day.

In 2021, around 84% of Modesto City Elementary students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch , while in its high school district, 64% qualified. In addition, around 17% of students live in food-insecure households in Stanislaus County — three points higher than the state average of 14%.

Under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Eligibility Provision , all students in Modesto City Schools can receive free breakfast and lunch during the school year without needing meal applications or household income verification, according to the district.

Michelle Lee, policy advocate at Nourish California , said around one in six students in California are food insecure, so schools providing free lunches help address those gaps. Food insecurity is defined as unknown or limited access to safe and nutritious food.

“Despite the fact that most of our state and nation’s food is produced in the Central Valley, many children and their parents, who are often the farmworkers and agricultural workers that grow and harvest our food, are food-insecure and go hungry,” Lee said.

She said school meals have been shown to improve academic performance and prevent kids from getting sick frequently.

A child is eligible for free school meals if the annual income of their family is $40,560 or less with a household of four, the household receives benefits like EBT or cash assistance, if the child is in foster care, is identified as homeless or the child of migrant workers or if the child participates in a Head Start program. A child is eligible for reduced-price meals if annual income is $57,720 or less with a household of four.

In the 2023-24 school year, the highest number of students meeting the criteria for free breakfast and lunch attended Orville Wright Elementary (97% of students), Robinson Road Elementary (94%) of students and Tuolumne Elementary (94%).

For high schools, the highest number of students meeting the criteria attended Elliott Alternative (79% of students), Modesto High School (75%) and Johansen (74%).

Lee said there are things schools can do to help improve access to school meals. She hopes schools across the state will implement a universal free meal program regardless of family income level.

Lee also hopes districts will consider increasing the time students have to eat, having a snack program for students who can’t make it to breakfast, and summer meal programs so students can have access to meals when sessions are out for summer break.

“The CDC recommends that kids have at least 20 minutes to get their food and then sit down and eat, but sometimes it takes kids an amount of time like 20 minutes to just wait in line to get their food,” she said.

Modesto City Schools has offered a summer break meal program for several years. The free lunches have been delivered to about 1,300 students from the end of May to the end of July.

Operating since 1995, MCS’ summer lunch program is funded through the USDA’s Summer Food Service Program. The department created the program to ensure children 18 and younger can access meals during school vacations lasting 15 or more consecutive days.