Sand Springs district ends universal free-meals pilot after year of rising food costs

The Sand Springs Public Schools superintendent and district staff announced May 5 that the district will not continue its one-year pilot of universal free breakfast and lunch under the Community Eligibility Provision, citing a roughly $400,000 shortfall and sharp food-price increases.

The move affects all schools in the district and follows a fiscal review of reimbursements and meal costs. “We really cannot continue that program,” Miss Durkee, superintendent, said during the board meeting.

Board members and staff said the pilot benefited families but proved fiscally unsustainable. The district estimated food costs rose by about 20% this year and that the program would deplete fund balance if continued. “It was a deficit…about $400,000 to answer your question directly,” Miss Durkee said when asked about the size of the gap. Sherry Pierce, staff member, added, “Our expenses went up about 20% for all of food, groceries.”

Nut graf: The decision ends universal free meals provided districtwide under CEP after one year and shifts responsibility back to families to complete free-and-reduced-price meal forms that the district uses to calculate Title I and other state funding. Officials said the accuracy of those forms affects state aid and staffing formulas.

District officials described how the funding formulas interact with federal and state reporting. The superintendent and administration said the district’s aggregate counts for economically disadvantaged students feed the annual statistical report and Title I calculations; the district receives approximately one-third of state aid per qualifying student in the weighting used by its formula. Miss Durkee emphasized the operational limits: districts must use current, official free-and-reduced forms and cannot rely on older forms for the next school year.

Board members asked how families will be notified. Miss Durkee said communications would begin the following day and that school principals and registration systems would be used to encourage completion of the forms. “We’re going to be vigilant,” Miss Durkee said, noting staff will cross-check preregistration data and the online registration (OLR) to identify households that appear eligible.

Officials also explained why an intermediate option—offering breakfast only or lunch only—was not available under the CEP rules. “CEP is universal. There’s no option,” Miss Durkee said. The board discussed federal proposals that might change multipliers used in the funding calculation, but officials said any legislative change was uncertain and unreliable to base budgeting on.

Ending CEP is an administrative decision announced in open session rather than a formal roll-call vote. District staff said the program had benefited families and that leaders would continue to seek alternatives, but not at the current projected cost.

The district plans an outreach push to families, principals and the community to increase completion of free-and-reduced forms so the district’s eligibility counts for Title I and other funding remain accurate. Officials said they will monitor enrollment and state guidance over the summer before making any future changes.