Peter Hinrichs, assistant professor in the Georgetown Public Policy Institute, on the correlation between the National School Lunch Program and school attendance:

"The research found that the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) has not had a dramatic effect on health into adulthood, but it has had a significant effect on educational attainment. The NSLP today is still broad in its reach, but it targets poorer children. There are higher standards for eligibility and also special funding for poorer schools. Had these elements been in place at the inception of the program, there may have been a more detectable effect on health in its early years."

Report Links School Meals With Higher Attendance

August 23, 2010, Daily Comet