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There is Such Thing as a Free Lunch: School Meals, Stigma, and Student Discipline

Author

Listed:
  • Vitaly Radsky
  • Thurston Domina
  • Leah R. Clark
  • Renuka Bhaskar

Abstract

The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) allows high-poverty schools to offer free meals to all students regardless of household income. Conceptualizing universal meal provision as a strategy to alleviate stigma associated with school meals, we hypothesize that CEP implementation reduces the incidence of suspensions, particularly for students from low-income backgrounds and minoritized students. We link educational records for students enrolled in Oregon public schools between 2010 and 2017 with administrative data describing their families’ household income and social safety net program participation. Difference-in-differences analyses indicate that CEP has protective effects on the probability of suspension for students in participating schools, particularly for students from low-income families, students who received free or reduced-price meals prior to CEP implementation, and Hispanic students.

Suggested Citation

  • Vitaly Radsky & Thurston Domina & Leah R. Clark & Renuka Bhaskar, 2022. "There is Such Thing as a Free Lunch: School Meals, Stigma, and Student Discipline," Working Papers 22-23, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    • Handle: RePEc:cen:wpaper:22-23
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    File URL: https://www2.census.gov/ces/wp/2022/CES-WP-22-23R.pdf
    File Function: Revised version, 2023
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www2.census.gov/ces/wp/2022/CES-WP-22-23.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2022
    Download Restriction: no
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    Cited by:

    1. Kashyap, Pratyoosh & Jablonski, Becca B. R., 2023. "Diffusion of Universal Free School Meals in the United States: Examining Factors Influencing Adoption of Community Eligibility Provision," 2023 Annual Meeting, July 23-25, Washington D.C. 335700, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Community Eligibility Provision; Free/reduced price lunch; Suspension; Universal meals;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy
    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty

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