Larger percentages of Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native students attended high-poverty schools than White or Asian/Pacific Islander students in 2005–06.

The percentage of students eligible for the free or reduced-price lunch program provides a proxy measure for the concentration of low-income students within a school. For the purpose of this indicator, high-poverty schools are defined as public schools with more than 75 percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.¹ In 2005–06, approximately 15 percent of all elementary and secondary public school students (or 7.1 million students) attended high-poverty schools (see table 29-1).

Nationally, larger percentages of Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native students attended high-poverty schools than did White or Asian/Pacific Islander students in 2005–06, and higher percentages of Asian/Pacific Islander than White students attended these schools. Some 32 percent of Black, 34 percent of Hispanic, and 24 percent of American Indian/Alaska Native students were enrolled in high-poverty schools, compared with 4 percent of White and 10 percent of Asian/Pacific Islander students. In contrast, nationally, larger percentages of White (19 percent) and Asian/Pacific Islander (24 percent) students attended low-poverty schools (public schools with 10 percent or less of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch) than did Black (4 percent), Hispanic (7 percent), and American Indian/Alaska Native (5 percent) students.

Overall, a similar pattern existed among racial/ethnic groups within different school locales. In each locale (cities, suburban areas, towns, and rural areas), higher percentages of Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native students attended high-poverty schools than did their White and Asian/Pacific Islander peers in 2005–06. Among students attending city schools, for example, 44 percent of Blacks, 46 percent of Hispanics, and 27 percent of American Indians/Alaska Natives attended high-poverty schools, compared with 9 percent of Whites and 17 percent of Asians/Pacific Islanders. In rural areas, higher percentages of Black (25 percent), Hispanic (21 percent), and American Indian/Alaska Native (33 percent) students attended high-poverty schools than did their White and Asian/Pacific Islander (4 percent for both) peers.

¹ Private school students are excluded because large proportions of private schools do not participate in the free or reduced-price lunch program. (back to text)