In this brief, we utilize statewide school-level data from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) from 2016-2020 to examine free and reduced-price school meal programs.

In this policy brief, we summarize the issue of growing food insecurity among Missouri children, detailing the role of some of the federal programs that support them. As more families become food insecure in the wake of the pandemic, we also note evidence of the impact of hunger on critical student outcomes.