Fort Worth schools scramble to ensure students are fed during SNAP disruption
By Tuesday mid-morning, the line of cars outside O.D. Wyatt High School was more than a quarter mile long, stretching from the building’s southeast corner, along Seminary Drive in front of the campus and down to the staff parking lot on the west side of the school.
As drivers reached the front of the line, students from O.D. Wyatt’s JROTC program loaded cases of bottled water and boxes filled with eggs, milk, bread and other groceries into their trunks.
Communities like the one around O.D. Wyatt, in southeastern Fort Worth, have been hit hard by this month’s disruption in SNAP benefits. More than nine out of 10 of the school’s students are economically disadvantaged. As uncertainty continues around when federal food aid will be restored, school districts across North Texas are scrambling to make sure students and their families aren’t forced to go hungry.
Although the problem isn’t one that school districts created, it’s one they have to respond to, said Armando Gallegos, principal of O.D. Wyatt. Students can’t be expected to learn if they’re hungry, he said.
“That’s why it’s so important for us to try and provide that for them, so that they have at least those basic needs, and then they can come to school with something in their stomach,” Gallegos said.
SNAP disruption sends schools scrambling
SNAP benefits, sometimes known as food stamps, were put on hold as of Nov. 1 as the government shutdown stretched into its second month. On Friday, two federal judges ordered the Trump administration to fund SNAP benefits out of a contingency fund during the shutdown. On Tuesday morning, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social that benefits wouldn’t be restored until after the government reopens. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said later Tuesday that the administration is complying with the court order, but that it will take time to distribute money for food aid.
About 83% of the 70,184 students enrolled in Fort Worth ISD last year were classified as economically disadvantaged. In a statement, a Fort Worth ISD spokesperson said the district has a range of resources in place for families who need support. The district offers free breakfast and lunch for all students, as well as an after-school snack, and partners with community organizations to ensure families have access to the help they need.
“It’s important to note that the current SNAP situation is a legislative matter and not one under Fort Worth ISD’s authority,” district officials said. “However, the district remains committed to connecting families with available community and campus-based supports to help meet their basic needs during this time.”
Tuesday’s food drive was hosted by O.D. Wyatt’s THRIVE market, a student-run store where students and their families can pick up free groceries. Ashlee Arkansas, an intervention specialist at the school, said students took inventory and restocked the market in the last weeks of October to prepare for increased need from families whose SNAP benefits were disrupted.
Although the disruption is only a few days old, Arkansas said she’s already seen signs of increased need. There’s been an uptick in the number of families referred to the market, she said, and she’s fielded several calls from community members asking if they could come pick up food.
O.D. Wyatt’s THRIVE market is one of seven similar resource centers at schools across North Texas, operated in partnership with Texas Health Resources. David Tesmer, chief community and public policy officer for Texas Health Resources, said he’s heard reports of increased need for services at all of those centers. This week, the company also began doubling the amount of fresh fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods available at its Good For You Healthy Hub locations, which are primarily located at schools and community centers, Tesmer said.
Other school districts are also working with community organizations to make sure their families have enough to eat. Arlington ISD sent families a list of agencies and nonprofits that offer food assistance, and a reminder that the district won’t withhold meals from students even if they have no money in their account, said Taina Northington, a spokesperson for the district.
Local governments left to fill SNAP gap
By a few minutes after 11 a.m. Tuesday, the student volunteers at O.D. Wyatt had worked their way through the initial line of people seeking help. Periodically, one or two cars drove up for a box of food, but otherwise, all was quiet.
Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, who was on hand to help with the distribution, said she was impressed with how effectively the students handled the project. The food at Tuesday’s distribution was donated by the cities of Fort Worth and Forest Hill. Parker said the event was already scheduled before the disruption in SNAP benefits, but it took on added importance once low-income families lost access to food assistance.
Although she said she was pleased with how Tuesday’s event went, Parker said local governments, school districts and nonprofits don’t have the capacity to fill the gap left by the loss of federal food aid. But until SNAP benefits are restored, those agencies are the ones responsible for making sure families don’t go hungry, she said.
“The reality is, this is what happens in local communities,” she said. “We’re the ones left holding the bag.”
Here’s a list of the seven Texas Health Resources THRIVE Markets:
A+ Charter Schools Inspired Vision Academy Secondary
18501 Bruton Road, Dallas TX 75217
O.D. Wyatt High School Chaparral Market
2400 E. Seminary Drive, Fort Worth TX 76119
Southwest High School
4100 Altamesa Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76133
Lancaster ISD WEBO Market - Lancaster Middle School Resource Building
814 Pleasant Run Road, Lancaster, TX 75146
Delay Middle School
2103 Savage Lane, Lewisville TX 75057
Linda Tutt High School
404 Hughes St., Sanger TX 76266
Furlough Middle School Tiger Mart
1351 Colquitt Road, Terrell TX 75160
This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 4:53 PM.
