Student need · K-12 education statistics
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility(FRL)
The share of students eligible for subsidised meals — a widely used, increasingly unreliable poverty proxy.
Students qualify for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program when household income falls below set multiples of the federal poverty line, or when the household already receives certain benefits. The eligible share has long been the standard quick proxy for student poverty in a school or district.
It has become materially less reliable as a poverty measure. Under the Community Eligibility Provision, a school where enough students are directly certified may offer free meals to every student, and then reports 100% eligibility regardless of the actual income distribution. Comparing FRL share across districts — or across years spanning a district's adoption of community eligibility — can therefore show a jump in 'poverty' that reflects only a change in meal policy. Use it as a coarse signal, and prefer a direct poverty estimate where the comparison matters.
Also known as: free lunch, reduced price lunch, FRPL, FRL, school poverty.
See free or reduced-price lunch eligibility in the data
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Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility — FAQ
What is free or reduced-price lunch eligibility in school and district data?+
The share of students eligible for subsidised meals — a widely used, increasingly unreliable poverty proxy. Students qualify for free or reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program when household income falls below set multiples of the federal poverty line, or when the household already receives certain benefits. The eligible share has long been the standard quick proxy for student poverty in a school or district.
Why does free or reduced-price lunch eligibility matter?+
It has become materially less reliable as a poverty measure. Under the Community Eligibility Provision, a school where enough students are directly certified may offer free meals to every student, and then reports 100% eligibility regardless of the actual income distribution. Comparing FRL share across districts — or across years spanning a district's adoption of community eligibility — can therefore show a jump in 'poverty' that reflects only a change in meal policy. Use it as a coarse signal, and prefer a direct poverty estimate where the comparison matters.
Where does this school and district data come from?+
Core statistics come from the National Center for Education Statistics — the Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Civil Rights Data Collection. The most recent graduation rates and state report-card outcomes come directly from state education agencies, which publish sooner than the federal series. pumsdata is independent and not affiliated with NCES or any state agency.