Feeding Success: Food Insecurity and Academic Performance in Pennsylvania K-12 Public Schools

open_access
Open Access
Author:
Kraft, Emmanuel
Area of Honors:
Political Science
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Michael Barth Berkman, Thesis Supervisor
Sona N. Golder, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
political science
communication arts and sciences
food insecurity
food
academic performance
academics
academic outcomes
food desert
test scores
tests
K-12
pennsylvania
public schools
free lunch
plsc
cas
Abstract:
Food insecurity poses significant challenges for the health, development, and academic outcomes of children. The COVID pandemic worsened these challenges, highlighting the need to understand how limited access to nutritious food influences student learning. This study examines the relationship between food insecurity and academic performance among K–12 students in Pennsylvania, with attention to differences by age and pre- versus post-pandemic periods. Using a dataset of 3,073 public schools from 2015 to 2025, the analysis combines school- level socioeconomic indicators, standardized test scores, graduation and dropout rates, and measures of food insecurity. Food insecurity is operationalized through the food desert status of schools, meaning low-income areas with limited access to supermarkets. Academic performance is measured with proficiency rates on the Pennsylvania System of School Assessment and Keystone Exams, supplemented by cohort graduation and dropout rates. Ordinary least squares regression models estimate associations between food desert status and student outcomes. Findings indicate that schools in food deserts exhibit lower academic performance, particularly among elementary and middle school students, with effects more pronounced post- pandemic. High school outcomes are less affected once socioeconomic and school-level factors are considered. These results suggest that limited food access hinders conditions essential for learning, including cognitive functioning, energy, and classroom engagement. This study provides school-level evidence linking food insecurity to lower academic achievement, emphasizing the need for targeted nutritional interventions for younger students. Policies addressing economic and geographic barriers to food access may help reduce opportunity gaps, support equitable educational outcomes, and foster long-term economic development.