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Arizona has a comparatively
high percentage of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
In fiscal year 2005, about 52 percent of Arizona’s students were reported as
eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. Arizona was one of only seven
states reporting more than half of its students as eligible, and the
national average was about 35 percent. Although 69 percent of NSLP-eligible
students attended urban schools, rural schools reported a higher proportion
of their students as eligible. Smaller schools and elementary schools also
generally had higher eligibility rates. In the first required state-wide
report on income verification activities, Arizona school districts reported
that meal benefits were lowered for 19 percent of those tested, and benefits
were terminated for another 32.5 percent because the students’ parents or
guardians did not respond with the required income documentation. The report
recommends that the Arizona Department of Education reconcile its NSLP-related
data to ensure date integrity, and the Legislature consider using a more
reliable poverty indicator, such as Census Bureau data, for state programs.
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