Baltimore County sees sharp rise in children who qualify for free lunches

A key gauge of family poverty, children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals in public schools, is skyrocketing in Baltimore County. Roughly 66% of the children in the county school system currently qualify for either free or reduced-price meals, according to statistics on the school system’s website. That’s up from about 44% just five years ago. Advocates say it shows that more families in the county are struggling and that school meals should be free for all children.