Guadalupe Hernandez is assured her first-grader Breyden began the varsity yr at Ellen Ochoa Elementary Faculty in Tulsa understanding the alphabet, primary geometry and his 5 senses. Till now, the only mom of three has been comforted by one thing else — the assure of free faculty meals.
The pandemic-inspired federal program funding free meals for all college students has ended, leaving Breyden and plenty of Oklahoma college students whose households hover close to the poverty line at higher threat of going hungry in the course of the faculty day.
Although a separate federal program generally known as the Neighborhood Eligibility Provision permits the nation’s highest poverty colleges to proceed serving breakfast and lunch for gratis, solely half of Oklahoma’s 184 qualifying districts are collaborating. Some cite reimbursement charges which are lower than the price of meals.
Ineligible and non-participating districts are turning to free or lowered meal purposes used earlier than the pandemic, a course of that comes with acquainted stigmas for recipients and obstacles to making use of for folks like Guadalupe Hernandez, whose major language is Spanish. As of the 2020-2021 faculty yr, 82.5% of Oklahoma’s English-learning college students had been economically deprived.
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Hernandez helps her household with an workplace cleansing job that pays $1,100 a month — one third of the utmost for an Oklahoma household of 4 to qualify at no cost faculty meals. Nonetheless, she worries about not qualifying.
“I must discover somebody to look at my youngsters after faculty so I can work extra — that’s all I can do, or discover a technique to work extra whereas they’re in class,” she mentioned in an interview performed by an Oklahoma Watch interpreter, mentioned. “I don’t make some huge cash.”
Some States Maintain Faculty Meals Free For All
California, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada and Vermont have applied free faculty meals for all college students this yr utilizing state funds, and different states have laws pending. Doing so in Oklahoma would require motion by the state legislature.
Common free meal waivers had been one of some pandemic-era applications geared toward addressing want in low-income households, mentioned Chris Bernard, government director of Starvation Free Oklahoma, a nonprofit geared toward ending starvation and meals insecurity.
“We’re actually doing a disservice by not preserving (applications like this) in place and it’s going to be more durable for colleges,” Bernard mentioned. “It’s going to be more durable for households. And I’m unsure we will predict each outcome from it but, however over the course of this faculty yr, you’re going to see it.”
Rita Gallardo is the CEO of La Cosecha, a meals financial institution that gives groceries and monetary help to East Tulsans. Of the 1,800 households La Cosecha serves weekly — up from 400 earlier than the pandemic — about 65% to 70% are Hispanic, she mentioned. The tip of the federal free faculty meal program for all college students will increase meals insecurity in her group, Gallardo mentioned.
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In accordance with federal laws, colleges should translate any details about faculty applications and companies for households that don’t converse English fluently. Commerce Public Colleges, within the state’s northeast nook, has 26% Hispanic college students and 16% English-learning college students, state knowledge reveals. It makes use of bilingual paraprofessionals to speak with households concerning the common program ending.
With English language learners accounting for greater than one-fourth of its enrollment, Tulsa Public Colleges expanded back-to-school outreach efforts for center and highschool households, establishing pc banks at no cost or lowered purposes.
English-learning households would possibly nonetheless be hesitant to use due to a misunderstanding of how the knowledge they flip in shall be used, mentioned Clarissa Hayes, a deputy director on the Meals Analysis and Motion Middle. Whereas participation in free or lowered faculty meals received’t impression a household’s path to citizenship, she mentioned mother and father would possibly nonetheless be apprehensive.
The overwhelming majority of Oklahoma’s English-learning college students are Hispanic. However in late 2019 and early 2020, the Meals Analysis and Motion Middle and the Nationwide Immigration Regulation Middle held focus teams and located that Spanish-speaking households had been much less doubtless than different teams to take part in federal applications like faculty meals due to issues about their immigration standing.
“What we consider is that wholesome faculty meals for all — common meals, (Neighborhood Eligibility Provision), no matter you wish to use — I feel that’s such a terrific pathway to serving to to struggle a few of these challenges,” Hayes mentioned.
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Various For Some Colleges
Fifth graders at Roosevelt Center Faculty in south Oklahoma Metropolis ate rooster sandwiches and fried rooster for lunch on Aug. 11, 2022, the primary day of college. (Whitney Bryen/Oklahoma Watch)
For colleges that match sure necessities, one type of common free meals may function a technique to make it possible for no college students go hungry.
To qualify for the Neighborhood Eligibility Provision, a faculty, group of colleges or district should have 40% of their college students qualify categorically at no cost faculty meals. {Qualifications} embody being enrolled in meals help applications just like the Supplemental Diet Help Program or Momentary Help for Needy Households and being in Head Begin. In lots of circumstances, households should nonetheless flip in an utility confirming that they’re categorically eligible.
All colleges within the Oklahoma Metropolis Public Colleges district, the place 43.8% of Oklahoma Metropolis Public Colleges college students are categorically eligible, have been collaborating within the Neighborhood Eligibility Provision since 2017. Director of Faculty Diet Companies Shonia Corridor mentioned compared with different federal choices, the supply made probably the most sense as a result of it allowed her employees to supply free meals in any respect colleges extra simply.
Corridor mentioned offering free meals to all college students has eradicated the necessity for them to enter their lunch quantity, permitting them to maneuver by the road quicker. It’s additionally simplified the lunchtime course of for folks, who now not should fill out free or lowered meal purposes.
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However the Neighborhood Eligibility Provision will not be a viable choice for a lot of colleges. In accordance with Oklahoma State Division of Schooling knowledge, 184 districts are eligible to take part in this system, however solely 94 of them have used the choice. Hayes, who’s from the Meals Analysis and Motion Middle, mentioned the choice usually comes right down to price range constraints.
Usually, colleges obtain reimbursements for every meal they serve, relying on whether or not the scholar is eligible at no cost, lowered or paid standing.
Reimbursement for the Neighborhood Eligibility Provision relies on a components, which identifies the proportion of categorically qualifying college students in a faculty or group of colleges. This quantity is elevated by a multiplier to seek out the proportion of meals that may be reimbursed on the federal free fee of $3.93 for lunch.
Meals outdoors of that share could be reimbursed on the paid fee of $0.37 for lunch, which means colleges with decrease quantities of immediately licensed college students would possibly obtain a a lot decrease reimbursement than they normally would.
Commerce Public Colleges Superintendent Stephen Moss mentioned 79% of the scholars in his district qualify at no cost or lowered meals, however a a lot decrease share is categorically eligible at no cost meals. Because of this despite the fact that the district qualifies for the Neighborhood Eligibility Provision, collaborating would price it about $100,000 a yr, which might have come from its common fund.
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In accordance with a 2020-2021 state minimal wage trainer schedule, the district may additionally use $100,000 to fund two new trainer positions.
There have additionally been some discrepancies between the Oklahoma State Division of Schooling and college districts on who qualifies. State Division of Schooling knowledge signifies that each one colleges within the Ponca Metropolis Public Colleges district are eligible for common free meals, utilizing SNAP knowledge and data self-reported from colleges. However district Diet Director Jeff Denton mentioned to his data, solely two colleges within the district qualify.
Denton mentioned he noticed the advantages of common free meals in the course of the pandemic and is now an advocate for persevering with the follow. However he mentioned he’s not satisfied the Neighborhood Eligibility Provision is the answer for his district.
A lot of Denton’s college students already qualify at no cost or lowered meals however aren’t immediately licensed, so he mentioned collaborating would minimize his district’s earnings by about $500,000 a yr.
Hayes mentioned colleges throughout the nation ought to attempt to enhance their direct certification numbers by repeatedly gathering knowledge from meals help applications and different sources. However she mentioned one other manner the Neighborhood Eligibility Provision (CEP) can turn out to be accessible to extra colleges is by reducing the necessities for collaborating.
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Throughout the nation, 27 states are actually part of a pilot program that immediately certifies college students who qualify for Medicaid, however Oklahoma hasn’t joined. As of July, people who find themselves 18 and beneath make up the most important share of Soonercare recipients.
The Meals Motion and Analysis Middle additionally helps an replace to nationwide baby vitamin applications that might decrease the direct certification benchmark for colleges and enhance federal reimbursements, Hayes mentioned.
“There are such a lot of items with regards to fairness and to making sure entry for non-English talking households, however we do consider that wider implementation of CEP can actually assist with that,” Hayes mentioned.
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by Ari Fife, Oklahoma Watch September 7, 2022
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When Ben Arbuckle stepped foot on campus at Canadian High School in 2010, coach Chris Koetting felt like he had a crystal ball.
A freshman quarterback at the time, Arbuckle made an immediate impression on Koetting, who mentally made a bold prediction.
“I knew he was going to do big things in football,” Koetting said.
Fast forward more than a decade, and some might think Koetting is a fortune teller.
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Arbuckle, only 29, has already become a successful coach at the collegiate level. He accepted the offensive coordinator job at Oklahoma in December, following stints at Washington State and Western Kentucky.
Now he’s tasked with breathing new life into an Oklahoma offense that was among the worst in college football in 2024. Those who know him are confident he’ll succeed.
Canadian, TX, located on the far-right end of the Texas Panhandle, has a population of just 2,339 — so just about everybody knows everybody else.
Arbuckle’s high school career made him an even more recognizable name in the small town.
In his final two seasons of high school, Arbuckle passed for 7,500 yards and 95 touchdowns. He led the Wildcats to the UIL 2A state quarterfinals as a senior.
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While most of Arbuckle’s high school highlights are passing-related, it’s where he first dove into instructing others.
Canadian’s backup for Arbuckle’s final two seasons was Tanner Schafer, who later played at OU. After waiting behind Arbuckle and learning from him, Schafer led Canadian to back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015.
“(Ben) has helped a lot of quarterbacks along the way, not just as a coach,” Koetting said. “He’s special.”
After high school, Arbuckle took two seasons off from playing football before joining West Texas A&M’s program in 2016. Located in Canyon, just outside of Amarillo, Arbuckle continued to learn more about the game on a small scale.
He spent half of the 2016 season as the Buffaloes’ starter, completing 63 percent of his passes for 1,241 yards and 15 touchdowns. Arbuckle didn’t start in 2017, but he was WTAM’s top backup, appearing in 10 games.
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While Arbuckle didn’t break records at West Texas A&M, his time there showed others his work ethic, killer instinct and love for the game — traits that have allowed him to succeed as a college coach.
“I definitely learned about Ben’s competitiveness from my time playing,” said Allen Roberson, who played with Arbuckle at WTAM as a defensive end. “It was always fun competing each day against the offense in practice. As a QB, it’s always important to learn and process quickly. Ben always showed that, along with his enthusiasm and fun spirit every day.”
Arbuckle’s love for the game really shined through at his first collegiate coaching stop.
Immediately after graduating from West Texas A&M, Arbuckle joined the staff at Houston Baptist (now Houston Christian), which competes at the NCAA Division I FCS level.
Arbuckle was an unpaid quality control assistant for the Huskies — and it got his foot in the door to where he wanted to be.
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Koetting guided Arbuckle as he entered the college coaching realm. And it didn’t surprise Arbuckle’s high school coach that he’d be willing to coach for free — or take a second job as a food delivery driver to make ends meet.
“His trail to get to where he’s at right now is kind of crazy,” Koetting said. “His work ethic is something else.”
After that, Arbuckle returned to the Texas Panhandle for one year, serving as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Seminole High School.
Arbuckle then landed his first paid college coaching job at Western Kentucky, where he started as an offensive quality control assistant. He was then promoted to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Hilltoppers in 2022, helping lead the nation’s No. 1 passing offense (433.7 passing yards per game) with eventual NFL quarterback Bailey Zappe.
That instant success helped Arbuckle land the same job at Washington State.
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The body of work is just three years for Arbuckle-led college football offenses, but he hasn’t missed yet. After heading a successful air-raid system at WKU, he was just as successful in Pullman.
In 2023, Arbuckle worked with Cam Ward — who later transferred to Miami (FL) and was a 2024 Heisman finalist — and produced a passing offense that was fourth nationally with 336.8 yards per game.
A year later, Arbuckle ran an offense with John Mateer, who recently transferred to Oklahoma. The Cougars finished 2024 with 30 passing touchdowns, which was sixth in the nation.
“One of the best offensive minds in the last several decades in college football,” Oklahoma coach Brent Venables said in December. “He has his own report — everything that I continue to look at.”
Now, Arbuckle heads to his biggest program yet — and it’s a full-circle journey for him.
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Canadian is just over three hours away from Norman, and his wife, Lauren, grew up a die-hard OU fan. On their first date, Arbuckle took Lauren to an Oklahoma game.
Game day for those two will look quite different when Arbuckle takes the reins in the fall. But it’s a return to the place that sparked their love for one another and Arbuckle’s love for OU.
“Here we are 12 years later, and we’re very proud to be here,” Arbuckle said on the National Signing Day show on Sooner Sports TV in December. “We’re ready to get this thing rolling.”
In addition to Arbuckle’s short-but-impressive resume and his family ties, his leadership is what those closest to him think will stand out.
Rosemary Koetting, Chris’ wife, described Arbuckle as a “player’s coach” who is kind, intelligent and competitive.
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“He makes everybody feel important,” Rosemary Koetting said. “Kids flock to him.”
Jett Niu, a 3-star quarterback prospect who signed with OU in December after Arbuckle’s hiring, had similar first impressions.
Arbuckle recruited Niu to Washington State early in his recruiting process, but the quarterback prospect ultimately chose to commit to Oklahoma State. But the two kept in touch even after Niu’s OSU commitment, and once Arbuckle landed in Norman, it was a no-brainer for him to flip.
“I love the way that he coaches and talks to his players,” Niu said. “He really just develops them.”
At 29 years old, Arbuckle is just over a decade older than Niu. His new coordinator’s youth — plus his proven track record with Zappe, Ward and Mateer — excites the Sooners’ incoming signal caller.
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“He’s developed multiple quarterbacks that have been successful in college football, and I think I can be one of them,” Niu said. “We’re going to have a great next couple of years.”
Arbuckle’s time in Norman could span more than a decade. It could last only a year. Regardless, Koetting thinks Arbuckle is the right man for the job.
But wherever Arbuckle’s coaching career takes him, Koetting will always see him as the small-town quarterback that he predicted to one day be a star.
“I have coached a lot of great quarterbacks, and he’s been my favorite,” Koetting said. “He’s one of ours. He’s special, and I can tell you that.”
The Texas A&M Aggies (8-7) will try to stop a three-game road skid when taking on the Oklahoma Sooners (13-3) on Sunday, January 12, 2025 at Lloyd Noble Center, airing at 5:00 PM ET on SEC Network.
Texas A&M is coming off of a 90-49 loss to South Carolina in its last game on Thursday.
Prepare for this matchup with everything you need to know about Sunday’s college hoops action.
Check out: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
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Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M: How to watch on TV or live stream
Watch women’s college basketball on Fubo!
Texas A&M scoring
The Sooners put up 24.5 more points than the Aggies allow (64.8).
Oklahoma is 13-3 when scoring more than 64.8 points.
Oklahoma is 8-7 versus the spread and 13-3 overall when scoring more than 64.8.
Texas A&M is 2-3 versus the spread and has an 8-5 record overall when conceding fewer than 89.3 points.
Oklahoma vs. Texas A&M computer pick
Prediction: Oklahoma 81, Texas A&M 62
Watch women’s college basketball on Fubo!
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STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Stailee Heard scored 18 points and Oklahoma State made the clutch plays down the stretch to upset No. 17 West Virginia 64-57 on Saturday.
The Cowgirls were sitting on a 6-57 lead when they missed a 3-pointer put Heard snagged the rebound and scored on a putback. As the Mountaineers attacked the basket on the other end, Tenin Magassa came up with a big block.
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When West Virginia missed its last three shots in the final 30 seconds of the game Alexia Smith grabbed teh rebounds and she contributed the final points from the foul line with 11.4 seconds left.
Anna Gret Asi added 12 points and Micah Gray 11 for the Cowgirls (14-2, 4-1 Big 12 Conference), who are off to their best start since going 17-1 in 2013-14. Smith had 12 rebounds and Magass had five blocks.
Kylee Blacksten scored 16 points to lead West Virginia (13-3, 3-2) but only had three after the first quarter. JJ Quinerly added 10, nine below her average.
Oklahoma State was averaging more than 85 points a game but won two games in a row scoring 64. The Cowgirls held Cincinnati to 48 points and West Virginia to 27 below their league-leading average of 84.
Heard’s three-point play three minutes into the fourth quarter had the Cowgirls up 58-47 but West Virginia scored the next seven to get with 58-55 with 2:54 to play as Oklahoma State was missing seven-straight shots.
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Blacksten started and ended a 12-0 run with 3-pointers that gave the Mountaineers a 17-7 lead but Gray and Asi hit consecutive 3s and the Cowgirls got within 24-23 at the end of the first quarter.
The two teams combined to make 17 of 29 shots with Blacksten scoring 13 points.
The teams cooled off the the second quarter, combining tor 7-of-23 shooting and 10 turnovers but West Virginia upped the lead to 38-33 at halftime.
Oklahoma State scored the first seven points of the third quarter and outscored the Mountaineers 17-7 to take a 50-45 lead into the fourth quarter. The Cowgirls made just 2 of 15 shots and had six turnovers as only two players score. Six different players scored for OSU, which went 7 of 10.
Oklahoma State plays at Houston on Tuesday. Colorado is at West Virginia on Wednesday.
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