Data Brief: 2023-24 School Meals Participation

The number of kids eating school breakfast and school lunch declined significantly in school year 2022-23 after federal waivers that allowed school meal program flexibilities during the COVID-19 pandemic expired. Data from school year 2023-24 shows free and reduced-price meal participation is recovering at the national level, with 21.2 million children eating school lunch and 12.4 million children eating school breakfast – nearly reaching pre-pandemic levels.

Learn more about the recent changes in school meals participation by downloading the data brief. An overview of the national trend, as well as insights and data at the state level, is included in the download.