Participation in the National School Lunch Program

In response to a congressional request, GAO analyzed participation in the National School Lunch Program during the years immediately preceding and following changes in the Federal reimbursement rates to schools and income eligibility criteria for free and reduced-price meals made by the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1980 and the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981. GAO: (1) determined the number of students receiving free, reduced-price, and full-price school lunches; (2) determined the extent to which schools and students have dropped out of the program in recent years; (3) compared data on the number of families with eligible children and incomes meeting program eligibility criteria with program expenditure data; and (4) discussed data on School Lunch Program participation reported by the President's Task Force on Food Assistance.