US EditionOSDE requires school districts to fund student meals through state and federal dollars
OKLAHOMA, JUL 7 – The Oklahoma State Department of Education aims to eliminate meal charges by requiring districts to fund student meals fully, relieving families of a $42 million expense last year.
- On July 7, 2025, Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters announced that beginning with the 2025-26 school year, all school districts will be required to cover the entire cost of student meals by reallocating current state and federal operational funds.
- The mandate responds to concerns over gross mismanagement, including bureaucrats prioritizing their paychecks over students and families paying multiple times for school lunches.
- Walters emphasized cutting administrative bloat, redirecting taxpayer money to students, and warned bureaucrats neglecting students will be removed, calling the issue non-negotiable.
- In the previous year, families in Oklahoma were burdened with $42 million in school meal costs while school administrators received a 14% pay raise; Superintendent Walters criticized the situation, stating that taxpayers are being unfairly taxed multiple times to subsidize lunches as administrative salaries increase.
- The new guidelines aim to ensure funds serve students directly, prevent families from paying for mismanaged meals, and reflect the state's decision to opt out of the federal summer feeding program Sun Bucks.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Oklahoma superintendent orders all districts to offer free meals, threatens sanctions
A school nutrition worker places sandwiches in bags in the cafeteria at Mayo Demonstration School in Tulsa on April 8, 2024. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)OKLAHOMA CITY — All public schools in Oklahoma must pay for free cafeteria meals for every student and exclude certain dyes and processed foods, the state’s top education official ordered. State Superintendent Ryan Walters issued a mandate Monday that all districts adjust their …
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MSNOSDE mandates every Oklahoma school district to fully fund student meals
The Oklahoma State Department of Education will mandate that every school district in the state fully fund student meals starting in the 2025-26 school year.
OSDE requires school districts to fund student meals through state and federal dollars
The Oklahoma State Department of Education will mandate that every school district fully funds student meals in the 2025-26 school year using existing state and federal dollars.
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