Overview
Free and Reduced-price Lunch (FRL) data is one of the most widely used indicators of economic need within a school community. The data below is a historical snapshot reflecting student eligibility counts for the Fall 2017 reporting period across districts and buildings in the MARESA service region; for current figures, visit MI School Data.
Download the Data
By building: download Excel data file
By district: download Excel data file
Source: https://www.mischooldata.org
About Free and Reduced Lunch as an Economic Indicator
Eligibility for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is determined by family income relative to the federal poverty level. Students from families with incomes at or below 130% of the poverty level qualify for free meals, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price meals. Because eligibility is income-based, FRL participation rates serve as a proxy measure for the proportion of economically disadvantaged students in a school or district.
While FRL data does not capture every dimension of economic hardship, it remains one of the most consistent and readily available measures for comparing economic need across schools and districts.
What Districts Are Included
The data files cover public school districts within the Marquette-Alger RESA service area, including districts in Marquette County and Alger County. The building-level file provides a more granular view, showing eligibility counts for individual schools within each district.
How This Data Is Used
FRL data serves several important purposes in educational planning and funding:
- Title I funding allocation — Federal Title I funds are distributed based on concentrations of low-income students. FRL counts are a primary factor in determining which schools qualify for Title I services and how much funding they receive.
- Program planning — Districts use FRL data to identify schools with higher levels of economic need and to direct supplemental services, such as tutoring, extended learning opportunities, and family engagement programs.
- Grant applications — Many state and federal grant programs require applicants to document the economic profile of the students they serve. FRL data provides this documentation.
- Regional comparisons — MARESA compiles this data to enable comparisons across the region, helping administrators and board members understand how economic factors vary across communities.
- Trend analysis — Tracking FRL eligibility over time helps districts anticipate changing needs and adjust programming accordingly.
Important Notes
- FRL data is based on applications submitted by families. Not all eligible families apply, so actual economic need in a community may be higher than what the data reflects.
- Some districts participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which allows high-poverty schools to offer free meals to all students without individual applications. In CEP schools, FRL counts may be calculated using alternative methods.
- This data represents a point-in-time snapshot from the Fall 2017 count and may not reflect mid-year changes in enrollment or eligibility.
For questions about this data or how it is used in regional planning, contact MARESA's data services team.