The School Lunch Program and the Food Stamp Program were originally attached to the Farm Subsidy Program as a way to get rid of excess produce from American farmers. Certain agricultural products, which were heavily subsidized, were passed on to schools and poor people.
According to the teachers at a teachers blog I’ve read, the teachers are now required to have every child return the free breakfast/lunch form, even if the parents have aleady said that they don’t need or want the program. The parents have to write N/A or something on the form and return it, regardless. Which makes it quite simple for corrupt admins to change the form in order to get the money for children who don’t use the program.