Why can’t ALL Oklahoma schools provide free lunches for students in 2025-26?

Some ideas as SO good that most people support them even when they don’t know who is going to pay for the good idea or how much it may cost in the long run. When I read the state superintendent’s “demand” that all schools provide free lunches to all students this school year, I began researching the State Department of Education’s authority over school budgets.

Clearly, a lot has changed since our constitution was adopted in 1907, and it is likely public schools suffer from more unfunded mandates today than ever. It was surprising to see in the 1,573-page Title 70 (the “Oklahoma School Code”) how much specific language related to the National School Lunch Act

School lunches are funded based on a federal, state and local formula that boards of education must navigate well ahead of fall. No data were cited regarding how many schools offer free lunches now or which ones cannot afford to do so. The superintendent claims that by eradicating “gross mismanagement and bloated bureaucracies” there would be sufficient funding to cover the cost but offers no proof. Reminder: “Oklahoma K-12 schools rank 48th in spending and in funding” according to multiple sources including this one.

One example of the disparity: Edmond Public Schools charges $3.30 for lunch while Oklahoma City Public Schools provides free lunches for all students. This is because high-poverty schools get enough federal funding to cover the cost. This problem, which should have been solved by Oklahoma decades ago, requires leaders who understand how school budgets work and who are willing to rise to the challenges in the manner envisioned in the Oklahoma Constitution and directed by the Oklahoma Legislature when approved by governor. It’s not that difficult.

For a brief summary of laws related to state governance of public schools AND what should happen next, please see my article here: Pratt Creative PR.