An issue brief from Mathematica Policy Research finds that almost one-fifth of students enrolled in the free and reduced-lunch program get a level of benefits that doesn’t match their economic circumstances.
Specifically, 15 percent of students received too many benefits and 7.5 percent too few, according to the report. The errors could be costing taxpayers plenty:
In the 2005-2006 school year, erroneous [school lunch program] reimbursements resulting from this type of error totaled $759 million, or 9.4 percent of the roughly $8.1 billion in total cash reimbursements and commodities paid to school districts for all lunches served. Erroneous [school breakfast program] reimbursements totaled $177 million, or 9.2 percent of the $1.9 billion in total cash reimbursements paid for all breakfasts served.?
You can read more about the school lunch program in North Carolina here and here.
