This qualitative, exploratory, comparative case study examined plant-based innovations in Title I PK12 public-school nutrition programs (PSNPs) in the context of the School Health Index (SHI) and Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) objectives. The study explored the perceptions of PK12 superintendents, school board members, nutrition directors, and school cafeteria managers in two eastern North Carolina school districts regarding the impacts of school-based nutrition on student attendance, behavior, academic performance, and health and wellness. The researcher sought to determine the perceived quality of current menu options available to students in contemporary PSNPs and to gain insights into the prospective receptivity to plant-based foods (PBFs) to improve the nutritional quality of dietary supplements available to PK12 students, especially those served in Title I settings. Finally, this study solicited participant recommendations for navigating potential legal, fiduciary, logistical, cultural, and attitudinal barriers and/or facilitators of changes to current PSNP policies, including PBFs, as mechanisms to enhance district and school improvement planning processes. Findings suggested that participants perceived the dietary supplementation provided to PK12 students in Title I settings positively impacted student engagement in teaching and learning processes. This revealed that deleterious factors engendered by external food insecurities may be offset by internal PSNP nutritional provisions among students in these settings. The food items served in PK12 cafeteria breakfast and lunch lines potentially impact student attendance rates, student academic performance, student behavior, and student health and wellbeing. The study found that effective implementations of school improvement processes which emphasize the SHI and the WSCC and lead to PSNP policies that address food insecurities may positively impact student attendance and student health and wellness in Title I settings. Thus, policies that lead to increases in student participation in PSNPs may positively impact student academic performance and behavior in Title I schools. Perception data in this study also found that, while federal- and state-level nutritional guidelines may have provided nutritionally balanced meals to students, many of the options lacked taste appeal to young palates. Data showed that a perceived lack of student acceptance of some current menu items may have yielded negative impacts on student participation rates and exacerbated student plate waste in these settings. Findings also suggested that student acceptance of and familiarity with non-traditional foods were likely factors in the success rates of PBF implementations in PK12, Title I settings. Findings indicated that calculated marketing strategies leading to effective implementations of plant-based nutrition in PSNP environments may improve student dietary supplementation by boosting student participation rates and reducing plate waste to stimulate student dietary intake in current PK12 PSNPs, especially those that cater to students served in Title I schools. Study data revealed that cost, sustainability, and policy constraints would likely be the greatest barriers to policy changes seeking to implement PBFs to fortify PSNPs as mechanisms for school improvement processes. Alternatively, data showed that the key facilitator for these implementation efforts would be the construct of advocacy coalitions. Findings concluded that advocacy coalitions which can communicate cost-efficient, sustainable, and USDA-compliant solutions to key stakeholders by using mechanisms inherent in extant school wellness policies (SWPs) may influence policy adoptions that lead to innovations in PK12 school nutrition programs, including plant-based options that enhance school improvement processes through whole child models. Based upon these findings, this study concluded with recommendations for PK12 public-school district policy and practice that may enhance school improvement efforts. Recommendations for future research were also advanced. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]