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This week, Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said he wants schools to provide meals at no cost to all students, using existing state and federal money.
The surprise announcement came just a month before students return to school, and with district budgets and contracts already in place.
Walters reposted Oklahoma Watch’s recent story on school meal account fees to bolster his directive. But the companies processing electronic payments and profiting from the fees, as we reported, do not appear to be Walters’ target. He blames bureaucratic bloat within school systems.
He claimed schools can slash administrative spending to cover the cost. He threatened to withhold districts’ money, or downgrade accreditation, or revoke teachers’ certification if they don’t comply.
Compliance, though, would cause drastic cuts — dozens of teachers laid off and all administrators, plus programs, one district leader told Oklahoma Voice.
Policy watchers immediately criticized the announcement. Local school boards maintain authority to decide how districts’ budget, not the state superintendent, said Shawn Hime, executive director of the Oklahoma State School Boards Association, according to the Tulsa World’s story.
Administrative spending is already capped by state law at 5 to 8%, depending on district size. And data shows administrative spending was even lower, an average of 3%, in 2023, according to the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability.
Hunger Free Oklahoma lauded Walters’ goal, but not the approach. “Ensuring every child has access to no cost meals every school day and throughout the summer is a goal we should all share and that we can achieve, but it will take additional investment from our state and leveraging every federal dollar available to make it happen,” reads the organization’s written response.
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— Jennifer Palmer
Recommended Reading
- Oklahoma’s new social studies standards, infused with Christianity as well as 2020 election-denial language, are set to be implemented. Districts will decide how. [The Oklahoman]
- The U.S. Department of Education dismissed civil rights complaints at a rapid pace this year, drawing concerns the agency has abandoned a core, statutory function. [Politico]
- The federal funding freeze affects after-school programs, school district support, professional development for teachers, and adult literacy programs. [Tulsa World]
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