Jordan Cain

Dr. Milne

H Cultural Anthropology

12 May 2019

Poster Proposal

Topic:

National School Lunch Program (Free and Reduced Price Lunches)

Research Question:

Does receiving free or reduced price lunch in public schools as part of the National School Lunch

Program influence class and demographic divides within public schools and reflect broader aspects of

socioeconomic status, class consciousness, and access to resources?

Annotated Bibliography:

Aubrey, Allison. Class Divide: Are More Affluent Kids Opting Out Of School Lunch? NPR, 2015

Aubrey, in her article analyzing the reasons for a dip in sales among school lunches, explains how

recent legislation and restrictions on the content of school lunches enacted in order to make meals

more nutritious have, in turn, driven students away from buying. She furthers this by explaining

that many students with more money have opted to bring lunch from home or go off campus to

buy fast-food in lieu of more nutritious, albeit less appealing lunches. Still, however, she notes

that even though there is a decline in overall participation in the school lunch program, there has

been a rise in enrollment among students that receive free or discounted price lunches.

Crooks, Deborah L. Trading Nutrition for Education: Nutritional Status and the Sale of Snack Foods in

an Eastern Kentucky School. American Anthropological Association, 2003.

 Anthropologist Deborah Crooks analyzes the connections between childhood obesity and health

concerns with trends of selling snack foods in schools, focusing specifically on a rural community

in Appalachian Kentucky. Crooks mentions how because of both United States policies

surrounding school lunch programs and a rise in overall snacking among Americans, school

children are eating less fruits and vegetables and more sugars and fats, much of which comes

from snacks sold in schools, often to supplement insufficient cafeteria budgets.

Domina, Thurston, et al. Capturing more than poverty: School free and reduced-price lunch data and

household income. Center for Administrative Records Research and Applications, 2017

This article, conducted by an independent agency under the umbrella of the U.S. Census Bureau,

sought to find out whether or not National School Lunch Program (NSLP) enrollee data were

truly representative of demographic and financial disparities within schools, as it is referenced in

most research and policies regarding public school funding. By taking the NSLP income data

from a California school district and examining it with corresponding IRS tax data, they were

able to conclude that there is much more income information that could make demographic data

more accurate, but is not included in the NSLP, which becomes an issue when these incomplete

data are used as the basis for appropriation of funds to public schools.

Dunifon, Rachel. The Influences of Participation in the National School Lunch Program and Food

Insecurity on Child Well-Being. Social Service Review, 2003.

Dunifon and Kowaleski-Jones sought to link enrollment in free school lunches and food

insecurity with a decline in the well-being of the participating child. They measured various

variables concerning wellbeing, including behavioral problems, health limitations, and

achievement. In addition, information regarding age, race, test scores, parental education,

household dynamic, income, and food insecurity was also gathered in order to isolate certain

communities as part of the NSLP. The study produced an array of different results, including the

conclusion that enrollment in the NSLP is inexplicably linked to household income. In addition,
 they found that food insecurity was linked to behavioral and health issues, with no cognitive

detriment, among children.

Ishdorj, Ariun, et al. Children’s Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables: Do School Environment and

Policies Affect Choices at School and Away from School? Agricultural and Applied Economics

Association, 2013.

Through the National School Lunch Program, students are encouraged to make healthier

lunchtime choices, usually including the addition of more fruits and vegetables. Ishdorj,

Crepinsek, and Jensen analyzed this idea and whether or not it had implications for other decision

making processes of students within school and out. Using data from the School Nutrition Dietary

Assessment Study, the researchers found that in addition to marked trends between race and class

with enrollment in the NSLP, children enrolled were more likely to consume fruits and vegetables

than students not enrolled. However, this was based on setting, as both participants and non-

participants in the NSLP did not show in increase in fruit and vegetable consumption outside of

school. Then again, when compared to data including income, it is seen that students of a higher

economic status were more likely to consume fruit and vegetables at home regardless of

enrollment in the NSLP, most likely in trend with higher parental education and lower food

insecurity.

Kabbani, Nader S., et al. The Role of Food Assistance in Helping Food Insecure Households Escape

Hunger. Agriculture and Applied Economics Association, 2005.

Kabbani and Kmeid sought to find a link between enrollment in the National School Lunch

Program and enrollment in the Food Stamp Program. Through this, they are able to see whether or

not food insecurity was legitimately helped by food assistance programs. They found that a

majority of families on food stamps were more likely to enroll their children in the NSLP, but still

wanted to overcome the factor of self-selection when families enroll in these programs. To

circumvent this, Kabbani and Kmeid chose to focus on changes in food security, specifically in the
 last 30 days of the year. Their conclusion was that most families experienced more food security at

the end of the year when they have received food assistance that year. In addition, food stamp

families with children enrolled in the NSLP were even less likely to be food insecure at the end of

the year.

Semuels, Alana. Good School, Rich School; Bad School, Poor School. The Atlantic, 2016.

In her article, Semuels documents a then current school funding issue in Connecticut that resulted

in a lawsuit challenging the unequal distribution of funding among Connecticut schools. Because

public school funding is derived from local property taxes, affluent areas were receiving more

money than schools who perhaps need it more in lower income areas. The Connecticut Coalition

for Justice in Education Funding, a group of parents, teachers, and community members fighting

for equal funding, argue that under the state’s constitution, adequate education is required, but the

current system has not allowed for adequacy for all. Because of this inadequacy, many schools

face cuts to teacher salaries, school lunch programs, supplies, and technology. Lack of funding,

Semuels explains, leads to irreparable damage in the student’s future due to educational

shortcomings. In 2018, after the publication of this article, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled

4-3 in favor of the State of Connecticut, asserting that the current system was indicative of

“adequate” education and required no intervention in the way schools are funded.

Poster Plan: