2. Some states saw an increase
While free and reduced-price lunch participation decreased nationally, it went up in some individual states. Delaware, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont and Wyoming all saw greater numbers of of free and reduced-price lunches served in April 2020 than in April 2019.
Additionally, 31 states saw an increase in the number of free and reduced-price breakfasts served in April 2020. FRAC notes that this was probably due to the fact that many states had low breakfast participation numbers before COVID-19. Nationwide waivers that permitted schools to distribute lunch and breakfast at the same time also helped drive breakfast participation.