SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota's largest school district
has added 515 students during the past year, and a growing number
of those students are coming from low-income families.
When the Sioux Falls School District's year ended in May,
46.8 percent of its elementary students were eligible for
free or reduced-price meals.
That's up from 43.7 percent the year before.
Across the district, the number of students in the program
increased by about 900 in one year, outpacing the total growth
Superintendent Pam Homan says that with the economy, more
students are stepping forward and coming to school hungry.
Officials say that students who come to school hungry struggle
to focus on their work, and poverty is associated with higher rates
of absence and lower test scores.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
AP-NY-10-13-11 1536EDT
E-Mail
Print