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OSDE reports summer meal site changes, rising FTE and FY27 funding shifts
Summary
Department staff told the State Board that summer meal site counts rose in 2026 even as sponsor numbers fell slightly, the agency reported 358 FTE in May and said recent legislation will increase FY27 staffing and funding for literacy, math, security and teacher pay.
Deputy Superintendent of Instruction Dr. Romel Muex-Pullen and Deputy Superintendent of Operations Kristen Stephens briefed the State Board of Education on program and staffing developments for the agency.
Dr. Muex-Pullen outlined Summer Food Service Program plans for summer 2026, noting program participation qualifications and showing that sponsor-to-site counts moved from 99 sponsors with 557 sites in 2025 to 97 sponsors serving 574 sites in 2026. Ms. Stephens presented the May FTE report showing 358 full-time employees at the State Department of Education and said newly authorized state funding and recent legislation will increase the agency’s FTE and affect projected FY27 financials.
Ms. Stephens enumerated legislative funding allocations that will support literacy, math, school security, and teacher salary and compensation initiatives; she also discussed operating and facility cost considerations and said the agency will continue refining monthly financial reports shared with the Board. The Board asked questions about implementation, including how a new recess law will be operationalized; Chief of Staff Tom Newell later addressed implementation questions and summarized the major bills the agency will implement in the coming months (including House Bill 1276 and Senate Bills 1734, 201, 2045, 1437, 1778, 3021, and House Bills 4268 and 3151).
