Under budget and on track: Stillwater Schools bond hits milestone as board honors Baker, eyes funding push
District urges families to complete form tied to state aid and federal programs
The Stillwater Board of Education honored departing member Dr. Marshall Baker and received updates Tuesday on bond construction progress and a district-wide push to boost free and reduced lunch applications — a form school officials say is the second largest driver of school funding.
The application deadline for the Ward 5 board seat Baker vacated closed Thursday, June 25.
Beyond the cafeteria: Free and reduced lunch form drives state and federal funding
Free and reduced lunch applications for the 2026-27 school year became available Tuesday but cannot be distributed until July 1. Superintendent Tyler Bridges told the board that after student enrollment, the free and reduced lunch form is the district's most important funding driver.
"The free and reduced lunch form is — outside of ... a student in a seat — is the number one driver of finances for the school because it's a weight on our state aid formula," Bridges said. "It feeds our Title I, it feeds our E-rate, it feeds most every federal program."
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Bridges said the district made roughly 3,000 phone calls mid-year during 2025-26 to chase down missing forms and plans to ramp up outreach this year. The district is also working to embed the application more prominently in the online enrollment process ahead of the October 1 enrollment.
Child Nutrition Director Krista Neal said the application cannot be required but benefits extend to every student in the district, regardless of whether their family qualifies for free or reduced meals.
"There are just so many good things," Neal said. "Even if your child never eats with me, which I hope they will, but even if they don't, it's still great."
Board member Dr. Clyde Wilson Jr. said he believes the program is often misframed as an issue only for families who need financial help.
"I think oftentimes, free or reduced lunch can sometimes come across as, well, 'that's not my issue,'" Wilson said. "If we can present it from the perspective of, this is a collective opportunity to be able to touch the lives of every student, including yours, I think that then changes the narrative and makes it a little bit more palatable in receiving the notion of why it's necessary to complete the paperwork."
Neal said privacy protections have improved significantly from earlier generations of the program.
"If you fill out the application online, it literally takes us seconds to process it and approve it," she said. "Another kid doesn't know your kid gets free meals."
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According to U.S. Department of Agriculture data, Stillwater's district-wide identified student percentage — the share of students directly certified for free meals through programs such as SNAP — stands at about 30 percent. The Community Eligibility Provision, a federal program that allows qualifying schools to serve all students at no charge without requiring individual applications, is available to districts with an identified student percentage of 25 percent or higher.
Three Stillwater elementary schools currently participate in CEP — Highland Park, Skyline and Will Rogers — allowing those campuses to serve meals to all students at no charge without requiring individual applications. The three schools participate as a group and together cover 1,329 of the district's approximately 5,815 students, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.
Bridges and Neal said the district came close to qualifying additional schools in 2025-26 but fell short of the individual school thresholds needed for expansion.
Families enrolled in SNAP, TANF, FDPIR, or other qualifying federal assistance programs are automatically certified for free meals and do not need to complete a separate application.
The board unanimously approved a 10-cent increase to meal prices for the 2026-27 school year, the maximum allowable annual increase under federal rules. Chief Financial Officer Kristie Newby reported child nutrition revenue ended 2025-26 up 12.6 percent above budget, which she attributed to increased meal participation.
Bond program hits milestone under budget, on schedule for Aug. 6 open house
The board also received a construction update from Brian Thomas of 505 Architects on the district's 2023 bond program, which Thomas said has delivered every project under budget without pushing work to future phases.
"I just want to say, this is like a major milestone," Thomas said.
The new Stillwater High School building has completed its full punch list, with Willowbrook Construction addressing remaining corrections. The city conducted a site inspection Monday toward a temporary certificate of occupancy, with only minor items flagged. The building is scheduled to open to the public at an Aug. 6 open house.
With the main building nearing completion, Thomas said the district was able to return close to $1 million in contingency funds that had been held in reserve.
"We went ahead and evaluated with Willowbrook to release almost a million dollars back to you guys out of that contingency," Thomas said.
Furniture and equipment costs for the athletics complex also came in under projections — approximately $500,000 against a budget of $750,000, Thomas said.
Thomas credited the savings to a planning process that allowed architects to work directly with district staff at all levels.
"I was talking to some peers the other day and they asked 'How are you guys delivering bond projects under budget and not having to push things to future phases?'" Thomas said. "I said, well, we talked to the staff — other districts don't allow the architects and stuff to get beyond the administrative level to have those conversations."
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Under-budget bids unlock practice field lighting in final athletics complex package
The board approved three actions related to the athletics complex — the final major package of the bond program. Favorable bids allowed the district to add lighting to the artificial turf practice field, an alternate that had been left out of the original budget. The board voted to award bid packages to subcontractors, accept a guaranteed maximum price amendment with Willowbrook, and assign the bids to Willowbrook as construction manager.
That complex, which the board approved at $22.5 million in August 2025, will replace the 1959 City Gym and the West Gym with a new multi-sport training facility housing a full-court gymnasium, expanded weight room, football locker rooms, and a wrestling facility. Renovations to the existing wrestling building will create a home for soccer, track and cross country teams. The field house renovation is on track for a July 1 punch-list walkthrough, running a couple of weeks ahead of schedule, Thomas said. Renovations at Richmond and Skyline elementary schools are also on track.
Board honors Baker as Ward 5 application window closes; appointment set for July
Before the construction update, the board recognized Baker, who resigned June 4 after the governor appointed him to the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board — a move required under state law that prohibits serving on both bodies simultaneously.
Board President Dr. Gay Washington said Baker will be missed for pushing the board toward difficult conversations.
"He's going to be missed dearly," Washington said. "We treasure his insights and his values. Always, always willing to ask the hard questions."
Vice President Rachel Dillin credited Baker with helping her navigate her early months on the board.
"I appreciate Dr. Baker and his service on the board and his mentorship as I was a new board member," Dillin said.
From left, Board President Dr. Gay Washington presents Dr. Marshall Baker with a framed aerial photo of the new Stillwater High School as Vice President Rachel Dillin looks on; board member Roberta Douglas shares remarks with Superintendent Tyler Bridges and board member Dr. Clyde Wilson Jr. nearby; and Wilson addresses Baker with Bridges in the background, during Baker's recognition at the June 23, 2026, board meeting. – Photos by Chris Peters
Baker said he had not sought the appointment and initially considered declining.
"I never expected that call to come," Baker said. "And my first call was to Tyler and Gay to say, 'Hey, do I say no to this?' And both of them said, as educators, we have to look bigger at the statewide."
He urged Ward 5 residents to see the open seat as an opportunity for service.
"I think this town is full of people that cannot use this position as a political statement or game, but can raise their hand because they love kids and families," Baker said.
The board plans to review applications, conduct brief interviews, and seat a Ward 5 appointee at its July 14 meeting. Because Baker's resignation occurred during the first half of his term, the appointee will serve until a 2027 special election.
The Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board is a nine-member body that authorizes charter and virtual charter schools, oversees their operations, and develops online learning options for Oklahoma students. Baker attended his first meeting as an appointee June 8 in Oklahoma City.
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