OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — During an interview with 2 News Oklahoma, State Superintendent Ryan Walters emphasized his controversial mandate requiring all school districts in Oklahoma to provide free meals for students.
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In response to the critical need for student nutrition, Walters stated, “If a kid sits in a classroom and they're hungry, they’re not going to be able to learn as well as they can, and that's very, very important.” His comments come as educators and administrators across the state grapple with the financial implications of this policy.
Dr. Margaet Coates, the superintendent of Owasso Public Schools, expressed skepticism regarding the feasibility of Walters' mandate. "I would love to be able to provide meals to all students, but it's just not financially possible for us. It would cost us about $5.5 million per year to do that," she said.
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Walters argues that Oklahoma school districts receive over $13,000 per student in funding, which he believes should adequately cover the costs of providing meals.
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“Let me tell you right now, the problem in education isn't the amount of funds going into education. There's plenty of money there. The problem has been how we're spending the money that is being dedicated to our kids,” he said.
According to Walters, the average cost of providing one meal is around $3 per day, leading to an estimated annual cost of approximately $500 per student. However, some districts, like Owasso and Union charge $3.90 a meal, further complicating the fiscal landscape.
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Emma: “Have districts sent you that those budgets of how they're going to pay for these students meals.”
Walters: “Schools submit things to us, if they're not there are, you know, we don't turn around and go, you didn't get accredited or you missed it. What we say is okay, but you can do A, B and C to get there.”
Nonetheless, schools like Broken Arrow Public Schools argue that it may be too late in the budgeting process to adapt. Rosalyn Vann-Jackson, Chief Support Services Officer at Broken Arrow, indicated the challenges: “Turning that budget in a quick short 11th hour timeframe is near impossible.” While Vann-Jackson acknowledges the importance of providing meals, she emphasizes the need for a financially responsible approach.
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Emma: “Have you seen in a change of budget where they're taking money from, like learning resources to put in these meals, or anything like that, where it might not benefit them in the classroom, but for their lunches, anything like that?”
Walters: “No, no. What we've seen is cuts of administrative costs. As a matter of fact, I just had three I've got to look at them this morning, but I had, there were several board meetings this week of local districts that made announcements that now we're going to fund student lunches, and here's how we did it.”
The financial burden of the mandate is significant.
Broken Arrow estimates that it will cost $8 million.
Jenks Public Schools projects an expense of at least $1.5 million.
Bixby School leaders have also outlined potential costs of up to $5 million.
Walters indicated that failure to comply with the mandate could lead to rigorous financial audits and possible loss of accreditation. He remains adamant about prioritizing student needs in school budgets, saying, “Listen, there are ways to do this. It's not overly complicated, but you've got to prioritize kids in your budget.”
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