The Guilford County School system is seeing a slight dip in its district poverty rate.
A new report shows that more than 62 percent of students currently enrolled in Guilford County schools are considered low-income. That's a 4.5 percent drop compared to last year.
“We're not sure if this means that the economy is getting better or simply that changes in eligibility criteria mean that fewer families are being identified,” said Nora Carr, co-interim superintendent. “Either way, hunger is still an issue for far too many children in our schools and in our community.”
The poverty rates were calculated using a new method that combines a variety of information to get a more accurate picture of families in need.
Jim Faggione, director of nutrition services with Guilford County Schools says the data allows them to better target food insecurity in schools.
“What this has allowed us to do is qualify more students to receive breakfast and lunch at no charge,” says Faggione. “It's really kind of expanded the amount of students eligible and we've seen a dramatic increases in participation in our program because of that.”
Once a group of schools meet the threshold of 62.5 percent, the entire school qualifies for free breakfast and lunches, which are funded by the USDA.
This year, 58 schools qualified for the benefit, which fed more than 28,000 students countywide.
“There are several reasons why some students can fall through the cracks," says Faggione.
The school system says often, as students get older, they are less likely to participate in free and reduced-price meals due to peer pressure or embarrassment, and may discourage their parents from filling out the paperwork, even if the family income qualifies them for assistance. Parents may also find the form complicated or don't fill it out because of privacy issues.
The Guilford County School System is also working on other ways to address poverty, including year-round food and clothing pantries and more after-school programs.
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