A study by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shows that more than half (51 percent) of the students attending public schools in America now are low income. The numbers reflect the latest data within two years.
The states with the most poor students
The majority of the low-income students were found in states in the South and West. Mississippi had the highest rate with 71 percent of public school children being low income. That amounts to almost 3 out of every 4 students attending public school in the state. In New Mexico, the rate was 68 percent, making it number two on the list of the states with the highest rates of low-income students.
Forty percent of all schoolchildren attending public schools in 40 out of the 50 states were low income. Just about all students in a total of 21 states were eligible for free or reduced price lunches, a program available to low-income students.
Not a new development
The increase of low-income students is not something new. It has been a growing concern for decades and reported in two previous reports. Southern Education Foundation Vice President Steve Suitts views the situation as "a nation not at risk, but a nation in decline…"
Read more by visiting www.southerneducation.org/Our-Strategies/Research-and-Publications/New-Majority-Diverse-Majority-Report-Series/A-New-Majority-2015-Update-Low-Income-Students-Now
