Characteristics of the 100 Largest Public Elementary and Secondary School Districts in the United States: 2003–04
NCES 2006-329
September 2006


Table A-9.  Free and reduced-price lunch eligibility and racial/ethnic composition as a percentage of school district membership, and percentage of schools for which free and reduced-price lunch eligibility is reported, in the 100 largest school districts in the United States and jurisdictions, by school district: School year 2003–04
 
Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch1 Race/ethnicity
Name of reporting district State Schools having member
ship
Percentage of reported membership Percentage of schools reporting   American Indian/
Alaska Native
Asian/
Pacific Islander
Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic
Reporting districts 15,891 46.6 88.0 0.6 7.1 34.1 28.2 30.1
 
New York City Public Schools  NY 1,217 0.4 12.7 38.4 33.7 14.8
Los Angeles Unified  CA 693 74.8 100.0 0.3 6.3 72.5 11.8 9.1
Puerto Rico Department of Education2  PR 1,508 79.8 99.6 0.0 0.0 100.0 0.0 0.0
City of Chicago School District  IL 612 78.9 100.0 0.2 3.2 37.3 50.3 9.1
Dade County School District  FL 362 63.7 100.0 0.1 1.1 59.4 28.9 10.4
 
Broward County School District  FL 259 40.3 100.0 0.3 3.0 23.5 36.8 36.3
Clark County School District  NV 295 0.9 7.8 33.2 14.1 44.0
Houston Independent School District  TX 308 75.3 100.0 0.1 3.0 58.1 29.7 9.1
Philadelphia City School District  PA 263 71.1 100.0 0.2 5.3 14.7 65.2 14.6
Hawaii Department of Education  HI 284 42.5 100.0 0.5 72.4 4.5 2.4 20.2
 
Hillsborough County School District  FL 232 50.0 100.0 0.3 2.4 25.0 23.6 48.7
Palm Beach County School District  FL 208 43.4 100.0 0.6 2.3 21.1 29.7 46.3
Orange County School District  FL 187 41.6 100.0 0.4 3.8 26.9 28.5 40.3
Fairfax County Public Schools  VA 190 19.0 100.0 0.4 17.6 15.8 11.2 55.1
Dallas Independent School District  TX 221 78.4 100.0 0.3 1.1 61.0 31.3 6.3
 
Detroit City School District  MI 254 68.2 95.7 0.3 0.8 5.1 90.8 3.0
Montgomery County Public Schools  MD 192 22.6 100.0 0.3 14.3 18.7 22.1 44.6
San Diego City Unified  CA 185 50.9 100.0 0.5 17.2 41.9 14.5 25.9
Prince Georges County Public Schools  MD 197 44.9 100.0 0.6 3.1 10.8 77.6 8.0
Duval County School District  FL 177 43.9 100.0 0.2 3.1 4.8 44.1 47.8
 
Gwinnett County School District  GA 94 30.8 100.0 0.1 9.7 16.0 21.4 52.7
Memphis City School District3  TN 179
Pinellas County School District  FL 163 39.9 100.0 0.3 3.3 6.7 19.5 70.2
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools  NC 137 43.2 100.0 0.6 4.3 9.0 44.5 41.6
Wake County Schools  NC 126 27.0 100.0 0.3 4.3 7.3 29.9 58.3
 
Baltimore County Public Schools  MD 162 29.7 100.0 0.5 4.3 2.5 36.7 56.0
Cobb County School District  GA 101 28.0 100.0 0.2 3.8 10.3 27.7 57.9
De Kalb County School District  GA 133 59.0 100.0 0.1 3.4 7.0 77.8 11.7
Long Beach Unified  CA 91 65.5 100.0 0.3 15.2 49.0 18.6 16.9
Milwaukee School District  WI 223 0.9 4.4 18.0 59.4 17.3
 
Jefferson (KY) County  KY 165 0.4 1.9 2.7 35.0 59.9
Baltimore City Public School System  MD 186 71.3 100.0 0.3 0.6 1.4 88.6 9.1
Albuquerque Public Schools  NM 148 47.5 100.0 4.8 2.3 52.6 3.9 36.4
Jefferson (CO) County  CO 160 17.6 100.0 1.1 3.5 15.2 1.8 78.3
Polk County School District  FL 147 56.1 100.0 0.2 1.1 15.6 22.4 60.7
 
Fresno Unified  CA 100 79.1 100.0 0.7 16.6 53.7 11.5 17.5
Fort Worth Independent School District  TX 143 69.4 100.0 0.2 1.8 52.1 28.1 17.8
Austin Independent School District  TX 111 55.6 100.0 0.2 2.7 53.2 13.6 30.2
Virginia Beach City Public Schools  VA 80 31.0 100.0 0.3 5.8 4.6 28.8 60.5
Mesa Unified District  AZ 90 50.1 100.0 3.8 2.3 29.5 3.7 60.7
 
Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District  TX 59 25.4 100.0 0.2 8.2 28.7 11.1 51.9
Jordan School District  UT 85 20.8 100.0 0.6 2.4 6.0 0.7 90.4
Anne Arundel County Public Schools  MD 117 17.8 100.0 0.3 3.1 3.4 20.9 72.2
Brevard County School District  FL 107 28.1 100.0 0.3 1.7 5.7 14.0 78.3
Fulton County School District  GA 83 32.0 100.0 0.1 6.6 8.8 39.3 45.2
 
Denver County  CO 145 62.4 100.0 1.2 3.1 57.1 18.8 19.7
Northside Independent School District  TX 93 43.2 100.0 0.3 2.5 58.7 7.2 31.3
Granite School District  UT 109 39.6 100.0 1.2 6.4 19.1 1.6 71.7
Cleveland City School District  OH 122 80.0 100.0 0.3 0.7 9.6 71.4 18.0
Nashville-Davidson County School District3  TN 125
 
Orleans Parish School Board  LA 125 75.5 100.0 0.1 1.9 1.1 93.6 3.4
Guilford County Schools  NC 104 46.9 100.0 0.7 4.4 5.4 43.9 45.7
Lee County School District  FL 81 46.8 100.0 0.4 1.3 21.1 15.0 62.2
District of Columbia Public Schools  DC 169 61.7 100.0 0.1 1.7 9.7 83.6 4.9
Seminole County School District  FL 72 30.6 100.0 0.2 3.1 15.6 13.8 67.2
 
Mobile County School District  AL 100 67.8 100.0 0.8 2.0 0.7 50.3 46.2
Greenville County School District  SC 86 36.9 100.0 0.1 1.7 6.0 28.3 63.9
Volusia County School District  FL 87 40.9 100.0 0.2 1.2 11.6 15.2 71.7
Prince William County Public Schools  VA 70 23.9 100.0 0.4 5.8 18.2 23.9 51.8
El Paso Independent School District  TX 88 67.8 100.0 0.3 1.3 80.6 4.4 13.3
 
Columbus City School District  OH 151 56.9 100.0 0.2 2.2 3.4 62.1 32.0
Santa Ana Unified  CA 56 77.1 100.0 0.1 3.9 92.0 0.7 3.3
Arlington Independent School District  TX 76 46.1 100.0 0.5 6.9 30.5 22.7 39.5
Washoe County School District  NV 98 31.7 100.0 2.8 6.0 27.1 3.6 60.6
Tucson Unified District  AZ 123 64.2 99.2 4.1 2.6 50.6 6.6 36.1
 
Fort Bend Independent School District  TX 58 26.1 100.0 0.2 18.2 20.2 29.8 31.7
Davis School District  UT 96 23.3 100.0 0.6 2.1 5.9 1.4 90.1
Boston School District  MA 136 73.4 100.0 0.4 8.8 30.4 46.4 14.0
San Bernardino City Unified  CA 65 81.0 100.0 1.0 2.9 60.2 19.9 16.0
San Francisco Unified  CA 118 61.5 100.0 0.6 52.7 22.0 14.9 9.9
 
Pasco County School District  FL 71 47.8 100.0 0.3 1.4 9.7 4.1 84.6
San Antonio Independent School District  TX 106 31.4 100.0 0.1 0.3 87.2 8.8 3.6
North East Independent School District  TX 65 35.2 100.0 0.2 3.0 41.8 9.5 45.4
Aldine Independent School District  TX 63 76.0 100.0 0.1 2.4 58.0 33.1 6.5
Elk Grove Unified  CA 55 38.6 100.0 1.1 26.3 19.8 18.9 33.8
 
Chesterfield County Public Schools  VA 59 13.0 100.0 0.5 2.8 4.3 25.1 67.3
Garland Independent School District  TX 68 40.0 100.0 0.5 7.0 34.9 18.2 39.5
Cumberland County Schools  NC 85 51.9 100.0 1.7 1.6 5.9 50.4 40.4
Knox County School District3  TN 83
Sacramento City Unified  CA 88 67.1 100.0 1.5 23.5 29.6 22.6 22.7
 
Atlanta City School District  GA 99 70.0 100.0 0.0 0.6 3.6 88.2 7.6
Plano Independent School District  TX 65 15.4 100.0 0.3 15.6 13.0 8.8 62.3
Jefferson Parish School Board  LA 83 71.3 100.0 0.7 4.2 8.7 51.1 35.3
Alpine School District  UT 63 25.2 100.0 0.6 1.9 6.8 0.6 90.1
San Juan Unified  CA 83 29.6 100.0 2.1 6.4 13.1 7.6 70.8
 
Clayton County  GA 53 64.7 100.0 0.1 4.4 9.6 72.8 13.1
Oakland Unified  CA 118 64.5 100.0 0.5 17.1 34.0 42.7 5.8
Garden Grove Unified  CA 67 60.4 100.0 0.3 29.9 51.9 1.1 16.8
Capistrano Unified  CA 56 14.7 100.0 0.3 7.0 19.0 1.4 72.2
Anchorage School District  AK 92 14.2 11.4 6.4 8.7 59.2
 
Wichita  KS 90 63.8 100.0 2.7 5.4 19.7 23.6 48.7
Portland School District  OR 93 41.4 100.0 2.1 10.2 11.0 15.8 60.9
Howard County Pub Schools System  MD 69 10.4 100.0 0.2 11.8 3.6 18.4 65.9
Forsyth County Schools  NC 68 39.6 100.0 0.2 1.3 11.1 37.6 49.8
Seattle  WA 127 2.4 23.0 11.2 22.8 40.7
 
Newark City  NJ 76 69.7 100.0 0.1 0.8 31.3 59.4 8.3
Shelby County School District3  TN 48
Ysleta Independent School District  TX 63 50.7 100.0 0.5 0.4 90.2 2.2 6.8
East Baton Rouge Parish School  LA 98 72.0 100.0 0.1 2.3 1.3 75.8 20.5
Cherry Creek 5  CO 50 13.8 100.0   0.5 6.9 9.9 11.9 70.8
— Not available.
† Not applicable.
‡ Reporting standards not met. Data were missing for more than 20 percent of schools.
1 Free and reduced-price lunch totals do not include New York City Public Schools, New York; Kentucky districts; or Tennessee districts. Also, states may not have reported students eligible for reduced-price meals, and a number of states reported participation instead of eligibility data, which may not be strictly comparable. See appendix B—Methodology section for further description. Percentages are based on those schools that reported.
2 Puerto Rico reported all students in one category of race/ethnicity.
3 Tennessee did not report free and reduced-price lunch nor race/ethnicity data.
NOTE: The universe for this table includes all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, four outlying areas (American Samoa, Guam, Northern Marianas, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Department of Defense schools. Detail may not sum to totals because of rounding.
SOURCE: Data reported by states to U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "Public Elementary/Secondary School Universe Survey," 2003–04, Version 1a, and "Local Education Agency Universe Survey," 2003–04, Version 1b.

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