Karla Horton has a very simple belief when it comes to her mission of feeding Bossier Parish students: No one can learn when they’re hangry.

As supervisor of Bossier Schools’ Child Nutrition Department, she and her staff are responsible for pumping out nearly 3 million meals to keep students from being so hungry that they’re angry, ergo “hangry.”

“Teaching students is our No. 1 priority, but that doesn’t happen in a vacuum — you need support from departments like ours. We feed students’ minds and bodies, so they can receive what teachers are pouring into them,” Horton said.

She pointed to studies that have proven students fueled by proper nutrition engage in class, have better grades, score higher on tests, and exhibit better behavior. These are the stakes for her department, made even more daunting because these school meals may be the only food some students get all day.

“Sometimes we forget that food is not guaranteed for everyone, and my challenge is to meet the proper nutritional guidelines while providing food that the kids want to eat,” Horton said. “I love a challenge. I operate at 210% all the time because I want to see how we can do better and make a difference for these students.”

This effort hasn’t gone unnoticed as Bossier Parish Schools recently surprised and honored Karla as its first Gold Star recipient for the 2024-25 school year. 

She called the honor the “best surprise of (her) career” and is one of the highest honors available to employees in Bossier Schools. She added it was extremely rewarding for the community and administration to recognize her and, more importantly, her employees’ hard work.

“Although I got the Gold Star, the whole department deserves it because I’m just the ringleader,” she said. “The cafeteria is not only a place where students get served food, but they also get a smile and encouragement from those workers. The Central Office team are the behind-the-scenes heroes who do the menu planning, purchasing, and monitoring.”

In her six years at the district, Horton has doubled the number of schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision program (CEP) and also doubling the amount of meals provided. The summer meal program distributed 38,000 boxes, equating to 530,000 meals, in just six weeks.

She equated the normal, day-to-day operations of her department to that of running a chain of nearly 30 federally regulated restaurants. 

“Being from a crazy Cajun family, we show love by feeding you. So, this is a natural thing that I want to do for our students through our programs,” said Horton. “From an employee side, we need a supportive environment to do the job. Having a healthy workplace for my employees makes all the difference in the world on those hard days.”

Horton, a registered dietician, left the medical field for Bossier Schools because, as she already noted, she likes a challenge. Now, she is proud to be a part of their district.

“When we had kids, we moved to Bossier because of the reputation of schools,” she said. “Speaking as a parent of three Bossier Parish high schoolers, it amazes me the vast array of learning opportunities they have and how their teachers go above and beyond.”

She added, “To be a part of the planning, in my job, and then see how that standard of excellence trickles down, as a parent, is impressive.”