A common sense solution

There was quite a bit of good news for Johnson County School District No. 1 contained in the 2024-25 Wyoming Test of Proficiency and Progress.

Johnson County School District No. 1 students performed above the statewide average in nearly every grade level and tested subject: math, science and English language arts.

And a majority of Johnson County School District No. 1 students in 2024-25 earned scores demonstrating they were proficient or advanced in all subjects, except for third graders in ELA (47.19%) and 10th graders in math (41.49%) and science (38.95%). 

Unfortunately, the latest test scores provide ample evidence – both at the state and local level – that low-income students continue to lag behind their non-low-income peers on the standardized tests. This disparity is driven by a complex set of factors, including household limitations and the physiological effects of poverty. While the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges, the gap in test scores and educational attainment between non-low-income and low-income students has been widening for decades.

In Johnson County School District No. 1, fully one-third of students are classified as low-income. In this latest round of tests, non-low income students outperformed low-income students in every grade level and subject except fifth grade language arts and math.

And while the causes are myriad, research has demonstrated that there are evidence-based strategies that can help bolster low-income students’ academic achievements. One of the easiest and fastest interventions that can help boost student achievement is universal, free school lunches. 

Numerous studies have concluded that students perform better academically, behaviorally and emotionally after consuming nutritious meals during the school day. Offering universal free school meals reduces financial and social barriers to participation, including the stigma associated with receiving free meals that can be negative, even among the youngest students. 

Recognizing that hungry kids struggle to learn, Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters – hardly a liberal, but a leading voice in one of the deepest red states in the country – mandated in July 2025 that all Oklahoma schools must provide free lunches to every student or face a state audit. This is a common sense solution to a simple truth: Kids can’t focus on math or reading if they’re worried about an empty stomach.

Last week, state legislators, school administrators and other interested parties met in Casper to discuss the preliminary report on the recalibration of the state’s education block grant. One of the topics of discussion was how the state funds school nutrition services. 

Earlier this year, a ruling issued by Laramie County District Court Judge Peter Froelicher required that the school funding model include a nutrition component as it is “an essential component of a quality education.” Froelicher also mandated that school districts “should not be required to use its general fund money ... to cover feeding its students.”