This kind of promotion is not unusual, but it’s worth noting anyway. The Chillicothe R-2 School District (located in Missouri) is offering a $10 Wal-Mart gift card and a shot at a $100 gift card for parents who submit applications for free and reduced-lunch.

As far as the school district is concerned, here is the key:

The number of applications for free and reduced lunch on file at the local school on the last Wednesday in January has a direct bearing on the amount of state money the district will receive during the next school year. Each child on a Free or Reduced Breakfast/Lunch Form will generate an additional $1,025 in state funds for the school district. It will also keep the district?s E-rate reimbursement at a high percentage, which allows the district to get 75 percent of its communications costs reimbursed by the federal government.

All personal records are kept confidential and only the Food Service Director reviews the applications. If for some reason families may not qualify at this time, they may apply at anytime throughout the year. Parents or guardians who are unsure whether they qualify are urged to fill out the form anyway [emphasis mine].

F&R applications, by the way, do not require proof of income, unlike other food entitlements such as food stamps. So, applicants can write in whatever income they chose without recourse.

Looks like the goal is to get as many applications sent in as possible. Considering there is no oversight of abuse by the USDA, it’s not unreasonable to assume that number fudging occurs.