By Mary Drier (Contact / Staff Bio)
January 31, 2009 - 02:33 p.m. EST

Because of the response to the article on the number of students in some school districts who receive free and reduced lunches, information on those numbers was obtained for all of the schools in the Tuscola County Advertiser’s coverage area.

“Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch are also eligible for breakfast, but many don’t take advantage of the breakfast program,” according to Department of Management and Budget (DMB) Communications Director Leslee Fritz.

“In fact, there is quite a disparity between eligibility and participation, particularly for breakfast.”

So much so, that the State Superintendent of Education is doing a campaign to promote the breakfast program.

Nutrition is a critical component of educational success, noted Fritz.

The figures DMB provided are from the spring of 2008

Tuscola ISD: of the 452 students, there are 343 students who receive free lunch, and 20 who have reduced, and 89 not in programs.

Akron - Fairgrove: of the 348 students, there are 160 with free lunch, 52 with reduced and 136 not in programs.

Caro: of the 2,161 students there are 768 who receive free lunches, 218 with reduced and 1,175 not in any program.

Cass City: of the 1,394 students, 517 receive free lunches, 159 reduced and 718 are not in any program.

Frankenmuth: of the 1,272 students, 100 receive free lunches, 22 reduced and 1,150 are not in any program.

Kingston: of the district’s 670, there are 266 who receive reduced lunches, 103 reduced lunches and 301 not in any program

Mayville: of the 1,013 students, there are 434 who receive free lunches, 115 reduced and 464 not in any program

Millington: of the 1,656 students, there are 545 who receive free lunches, 126 reduced and 985 not in any program.

North Branch: of the 2,766 students, there are 589 who receive free lunches, 277 reduced and 1,900 not in any program.

Owen-Gage: of the 241 students, there are 119 who receive free lunches, 25 reduced and 97 not in any program.

Reese: of the 1,004 students, 274 receive free, 69 reduced and 661 not in any program.

USA: of the 847 students, there are 200 who receive free lunches, 113 reduced and 534 not in any program

Vassar: of the 1,994 students, there are 1,050 who receive free lunches, 173 reduced lunches and 771 not in any program.

Households that receive Food Stamp assistance or Department of Human services qualify for the lunch program. And, the income limits for working families to qualify are generous.

Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.