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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Utah's public schools offered more than 2 million more free lunches to students last school year than they did the previous year.
The Utah State Office of Education says it offered 18.7 million free meals during the 2008-2009 school year, compared with 16.7 million the prior year.
The state sends out letters to parents participating in the Food Stamp or Family Employment Program every year to certify their children to receive meals at no cost. In summer of 2008, the office sent out 29,000 letters. In summer of 2009, the state sent out 42,000 letters.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
