K-12 Free and Reduced Lunch

Overall, the number of children accessing free and reduced priced lunches ha d remained relatively stable in Pierce County, fluctuating +/- 1000 to 1500 children per year from 2002 to 2008. The number of children accessing free and reduced lunches in Pierce County during the 2008/09 school year totaled 50,515, or nearly 40% of the students enrolled in public and private schools county wide. In 2009, the total number of students enrolled in the free and reduced price lunch program in Pierce County rose by nearly 4,000 to 54,354; accounting for almost 43% of the total student enrollment.

The percentage of children accessing by school district is reflected in the table below, showing the trend for the period 2002-2009 .

The chart below shows the total number served in 2009 by school district:

Source: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction