More U.S. schools below the poverty line, study shows

The economic recession didn’t just hurt businesses and workers.

As the AP reports, it also affected students, more of whom now are poor than over the past decade.

The percentage is measured by the number of students accepting free or reduced-price lunches. Schools where 75 percent or more of the students are eligible are considered to be poor.

While Mississippi has the highest rate of such schools, California is also among the states with the highest percentage.

Students attending these schools are likely to face more challenges elsewhere, including less-educated teachers and far lower graduation rates. They’re also 24 percent less like to go to a four-year college – and the disparity has grown even steeper in recent years. This is especially concerning because students at high-poverty schools are far more likely to be minorities.

You can read more about the challenges facing high-poverty schools and other pressing educational issues in The Condition of Education 2000-2010, which was recently released.