In Hamilton Township, food service director LuAnn Hemple has seen a small increase mostly in reduced-price lunch applications. But she also has noticed more children bringing rather than buying their lunch.

"They might not do it every day," she said. "But it's another way to save money."

The free and reduced-price meal program was created to make sure no child goes hungry. New Jersey schools get more than $175 million per year in federal reimbursement for breakfast and lunch programs. But enrollment numbers have an impact far beyond the cafeteria.

Meal program enrollment is used by both federal and state governments to determine public funding for a variety of programs. Having more struggling families could help a school district get more state or federal aid.

New state preschool requirements require districts with at least 40 percent of students in the meal program to offer full-day preschool to every 3- and 4-year-old. If enrollment drops below 40 percent, preschool funding covers only low-income children.

Somers Point's meal program enrollment jumped to 46 percent this year but was at 39.7 percent last year. The district currently gets state aid only for the low-income students and has used other state funds to cover the cost so that all 4-year-olds can attend.

For districts over that 40 percent threshold, state funding can be a strong incentive to stay there. Parents self-report their income on the application, and there have been national concerns that families might cheat to get their children free meals. The local school district and the state Department of Education can request more information, but there is no requirement that they do so.

The state Department of Education reviews all enrollments annually and will investigate if a district appears to have unusual or suspicious numbers, spokesman Richard Vespucci said. Enrollment audits for 2007-08 recovered $36.5 million in state aid so far, and another $3 million is under appeal. Vespucci said the potential for increased funding could be an incentive to make sure every eligible child is enrolled, but the audits reduce the incentive to inflate the numbers.

There is also concern that immigrant families may not apply for the meal program at all because the form asks for a Social Security number. There is a box to check if the applicant does not have a number, but the request alone can be a deterrent.

"We have heard it can have a chilling effect if the family's immigrant status is in question," said Cynthia Rice, a senior policy analyst for the Association for Children of New Jersey.

For schools, meals are a juggling act. Their mission is to feed children. But school meal programs also are expected to be self-sufficient and not subsidized by local property taxes, so every unpaid meal eats into the budget.

Maximum lunch prices are set by the state Department of Agriculture's Division of Food and Nutrition. This school year, they are $2.75 in elementary school, $3 in middle school and $3.25 in high school. The government reimburses districts $2.67 for free meals, $2.27 for reduced-price meals and 28 cents for all other students who buy lunch. When children bring their own lunch from home, the district loses money.

This year, Galloway raised its prices to the state maximum. Other districts are trying to hold the line. Almost 61 percent of Millville's children are in the free and reduced-price program, and many others are from working-class families. The district charges $2.15 for lunch at the elementary schools and $2.25 at the middle and high school to encourage students to participate.

Millville food service director Albert Carrozzino said sometimes students like to use new lunch boxes in the fall and will start buying lunch once the thrill wears off. Hamilton's Hemple said some menu items also are guaranteed to generate more participation.

"The popcorn chicken days are always popular," she said.

E-mail Diane D'Amico:

DDamico@pressofac.com