lindsay cuomo

As America marked its 250th anniversary, we heard stories about the innovations and movements that shaped our country. But anniversaries are not only occasions to celebrate progress. They are also opportunities to examine what we once accepted as true, what those beliefs cost us, and what we still need to change.

A child’s ability to learn does not begin with a textbook, lesson plan, or test. It begins with having enough nutritious food to eat.

School breakfast and lunch programs provide more than meals. They give students fuel to concentrate, participate, and succeed in the classroom. When students are hungry, their attention shifts from the lesson to their next meal.

There’s a story surfacing when public benefits enter the conversation. It’s a familiar one: skepticism and lingering questions about SNAP fraud. It travels quickly. Faster than data. Faster than lived experiences. Faster than the truth.

In fact, it’s become a widely accepted narrative. But when we slow down and actually look at the evidence, a very different picture comes into focus.

“A hungry kid cannot learn, but a well-supported student, with quality meal service and quality instruction, will thrive. In Elk City, Oklahoma, we have the numbers to prove it!”

That conviction from Superintendent Mike Sparks sits at the heart of the transformation underway at Elk City Public Schools. Superintendent Sparks, recently named the 2025 OASA District 12 Superintendent of the Year, attributes the district’s academic progress to a powerful combination: strengthened child nutrition programs paired with data-driven instruction.