It’s that time of year again when my inbox gets filled with announcements regarding the free and reduced lunch and breakfast program.
Household size and income determine which students get free or reduced meals and in Sonoma County that number is skyrocketing.
Santa Rosa City Schools, the county’s largest district with about 15,500 students, has seen the percentage of kids who qualify surge from 51 percent in 2001-01 to 70 percent in 2010-11.
To read the story about the rising rates of student poverty in Sonoma County, click here: http://bit.ly/peUPkh
To see the breakdown of household size and income levels for the 2011-12 school year, click here: http://1.usa.gov/nB3CKP
Applications to take part in the program should be available in school offices.