Does SD have the lowest eligible free/reduced lunch rate among neighboring states?

Though South Dakota’s percentage of public school students who qualify for free or reduced lunch is among the lowest nationally, Montana and North Dakota both have lower rates when comparing South Dakota to its immediate neighbors.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 32.6% of students in the state qualified for free or reduced lunch in 2022-23, compared to Montana (18.7%) and North Dakota (30.8%). Nationally, South Dakota ranked eighth.

This year, students whose families fall between 130% and 185% of the poverty line will receive free school lunches after the state Legislature passed a bill in early 2026. The new law is expected to cost $601,000 annually and will affect about 8% of the state’s students, bill sponsor Rep. Kadyn Wittman said. 

North Dakotans are set to vote in November on a measure that would provide free breakfast and lunches to all students starting in 2027-28.