FSUSD child nutrition serves 3.5 million meals last year; district adds storage, kitchen upgrades

Fairfield-Suisun Unified’s Child Nutrition Services reported Oct. 16 that the district provided roughly 3.5 million meals in the 2024–25 school year and is investing in storage and kitchen capacity to support fresher menus and supply‑chain resilience.

Director Dan Mitchell told the board the district will continue to operate under the Community Eligibility Provision, which provides breakfast and lunch at no cost to all students without meal applications. Mitchell reported approximately 800,000 breakfasts, about 2.3 million lunches, 222,000 after‑school meals and roughly 21,000 summer meals were served in the last year, for a total near 3.5 million meals.

Mitchell said district child nutrition revenue was “a little over $18,000,000” last year and that the program’s net cash resources were balanced, with a balance reported in the presentation of about $15,400,000. Out of those funds the department invested about $4,500,000 in capital improvements, including walk‑in refrigerators at six schools, replacement of two additional walk‑in units and a newly created central warehouse to increase storage capacity and enable more scratch‑cooking and direct purchasing from manufacturers.

Mitchell described partnerships with local vendors to provide compliant meals during outages or emergencies; he singled out a locally based pizza supplier that bakes and delivers freshly made pizzas to schools when needed. He said second meals cost $4 for breakfast and $6 for lunch. Mitchell also said the central warehouse reduces supply‑chain disruption risk and enables a menu with fresher, sometimes organic ingredients.

Why it matters: The capital investments increase the district’s ability to prepare fresher menu items, reduce dependence on last‑minute vendor substitutions and preserve cash reserves that prevent general‑fund subsidies. The community‑eligibility status ensures universal access to school meals, an important support for food‑insecure families.

What the board discussed

Trustees praised the department’s partnerships with local businesses and noted the value of tastings and student input. Trustees asked operational questions about truck backups and remaining kitchen remodels; Mitchell said three more kitchens (PSA, Cleo Gordon and Sullivan) are scheduled for upgrades and the district is considering an additional refrigerated truck for redundancy.

Who spoke

Dan Mitchell, Director of Child Nutrition, presented the report. Trustees Polk and Tilley and several other trustees offered thanks and positive feedback.

Next steps

Mitchell will continue planned capital work at identified sites, maintain the central warehouse and monitor food-service operations; trustees asked for continued updates on implementation of menu changes and infrastructure projects.