The race card in America will be played out over and over again between middle class achievers who are largely white and poverty class underachievers, mostly of color. And the stage for this race card is set within the urban school district of America. An excellence discourse. I agree completely that illiteracy causes poverty, not the other way around. At the schools in Washington State, free lunches are doled out on the basis of income.
Income is determined by the parent's assertion of their income level.
For instance, I would check off the box by the appropriate income, sign the form and send it back to school. There is NO income verification whatsoever required. Everyone is encouraged to sign up, and the lack of verification requirements is no secret among the populace. My children are out of college and it was that way when they were in elementary. I recently called several schools in our county and the same situation still exists.