The number of poor children in the U.S. public schools is constantly growing during the last years, while secondary educational institutions in the southern and western parts of the United States estimate the majority of students to belong to this category. According to the published results of research by the South Education Foundation, 48 per cent of all students are from low-income families.
The data is based on statistics by the national school program on providing free breakfasts or partially subsidized lunches for students from families whose annual income does not exceed 40 800 United States dollars (for a household of four people), defined as poor families.
The study found that in 2011, there were 13 States in the southern and western parts of the United States, where the number of poor children was greater than their wealthy classmates and, for example, the poverty rate among Mississippi high school students reached up to 71 per cent. Ten years ago, there were only four such states. In 2011, the most rapid growth in the rate of poor students was in California, Nevada, Oregon, and New Mexico. Of a total 50 million students, 24 million claimed on reduced price meals.
