Eligible rural children are less likely to take part in federal meals programs than their urban peers, finds a new study.
Participation in both school breakfast and lunch programs is highest in urban areas, with nearly 71 percent of eligible households using the lunch program and 59 percent receiving breakfast, found the report by Jessica Carson, a research scientist at the University of New Hampshire. In rural households, 63 percent take part in lunch, and 51 percent in breakfast. In suburban schools, only 59 percent of eligible students participate in either meal program.
Breakfast participation may be hampered by students whose long commutes prevent them from getting a meal before class, Carson found.
