Sunnyside food services posts surplus, plans menu changes and middle-school grill-outs
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Summary
District food services reported sustained surpluses and described outreach efforts to boost student participation, including increased menu variety, mobile grill events at middle schools and engagement activities at elementary sites.
John Oakley, representing the district food service department, updated the Sunnyside Unified School District Governing Board on program performance, menu innovations and plans to increase student cafeteria participation.
Oakley said the department has worked toward sustained positive returns over two decades and closed 2025 with a record non-COVID surplus of just over $3 million. He traced the program's financial trajectory: early-year deficits, growth to multi-million-dollar returns, and spikes during pandemic-driven meal programs. Oakley said current challenges include lower enrollment and post-COVID behavior shifts that reduce cafeteria participation, which the department has countered by expanding menu options and on-site engagement.
To increase participation, Oakley described differentiated menus by level (three options at elementary schools, about a dozen at middle schools and 15'20 at high schools) and new strategies piloted this year. He said the department tested "grill out" mobile service and popular items such as "chicken snowballs" at middle schools and plans to expand those events; the district has acquired grills and equipment for additional middle schools. Oakley also described elementary engagement methods including roving "chefs," character appearances ("Manny Panda") and interactive activities such as blender bikes used in salsa-making to create reasons for students to visit the cafeteria.
Oakley said the department aims to keep menus fresh as students progress through grade levels and is exploring high-school concepts such as a Sonoran hot-dog station and other elevated items while preserving school-compliance and nutrition standards. He noted that some items may require substitutions (for example, turkey hot dogs dressed to resemble local food) to meet procurement and nutrition requirements.
Board members congratulated Oakley and his staff. Mister Rodriguez thanked the staff at Los Ninos and noted particular cleanliness and service even when sites are short staffed. President Quintero and others praised recent facility improvements (Ocotillo cafeteria) and the food-service team's efforts. Superintendent Gastellum and other board members offered anecdotal support and described community events tied to food-service outreach.
Oakley closed by saying the department will continue the new offerings in the coming year, seek student and principal feedback and aim to increase meal counts while maintaining the surplus to support district operations.
