Universal-type school meal programs
Subtitle: report to Congress
Publisher: Office of Analysis and Evaluation, Food and Nutrition Service
Published: 1994
Place of publication: Alexandria, Va.?]
Language: eng
Number of pages: 98
Subjects: School breakfast programs; National school lunch program
Description: Senate Resolution 303 requested the Secretary of Agriculture to study and report on the feasibility of a universal-type school lunch and breakfast program. This report examines five alternative administrative structures for a universal-type program that would reimburse all meals at a single rate, regardless of household income status. The report considered seven factors in evaluating alternatives: impact on student participation; fees and local revenues; administrative feasibility; paperwork reduction; and impact on integrity. The report's major findings are as follows: universal free options either increase federal costs or cut low-income participation; almost half the cost of a universal free system would go to reimburse meals that would be served under current law; the increase in total meals served under a universal system would be very modest compared to the additional federal cost; most of the additional federal cost goes to subsidize meals served to upper-income children; administrative savings are small relative to increased federal costs; limited implementation of universal-free or no-fee programs can increase low-income participation at more modest federal costs; using the tax system to offset the cost of a universal free program increases the complexity of the meal counting and claiming process; counting school meal benefits as income for tax purposes would recover less than one-fourth of the additional federal cost of a universal lunch program.
Notes: Cover title.

"June 1994."

Includes bibliographical references.