About 65 percent of K-8 teachers say children in their classrooms regularly come to school hungry, according to a nationwide survey of 638 elementary and middle school teachers.
The nationally representative survey, conducted in September and October by Share Our Strength, a Washington-based anti-hunger group, also found that teachers believe hunger in the classroom is a bigger problem than it was a year earlier.
Based on teachers’ answers, the organization estimates that, for nearly half of K-8 teachers, a quarter or more of their students come to school hungry each week.
Hungry students are viewed as a more serious problem among teachers in rural and urban districts. Many teachers said they help students sign up for free or reduced-price meals at school, and 61 percent said they buy food for their classrooms, spending an average of $25 a month.
