08/22/2026
This one hurts.
For the past 2+ years, LeFlore Public Schools has been blessed with the opportunity to provide three free meals every school day to our students. For some kids, that third meal in the afternoon was simply an extra meal. For others, it may have been the last dependable meal they received that day.
With the Oklahoma State Department of Education ending the Expanded Learning Time portion of the CACFP At Risk Third Meal Program, that funding will end September 30.
The negative impact of losing this program is real. We know we have students who depend on the food they receive at school, and we refuse to simply say, “The funding is gone, so the meal is gone.”
We are going to pivot.
LeFlore Public Schools will continue providing FREE breakfast and FREE lunch to EVERY student, EVERY school day. And now we are working to determine what comes next for the students who need that last meal of the day the most.
Our principal, School Based Family Services Specialist, counselor, staff, and administration are working together to develop a plan. We will look for community partners, resources, donations, programs, and sustainable solutions that allow us to continue feeding kids even without the state and federal funding we have depended on for this third meal.
And we need our community.
If you, your business, church, organization, foundation, or community group would like to be part of the solution, please reach out to us. We are not simply looking for a short term fix. We want to build something sustainable for the long term, something that helps ensure our kids who truly need that food continue to receive it.
We have always believed that if we can feed kids, make kids feel safe, and let kids know we care about them, then we can truly educate kids.
The funding may be ending.
Our mission is not.
We will pivot. We will find a way. And we will continue doing everything we can to take care of our kids.
Feed kids. Educate kids. Keep kids safe. Let them know they are cared for.