Lizette Rooney, Lawndale Elementary School District director of nutrition and wellness, told the board the district is expanding scratch‑cooked menus and workforce training through a small central kitchen model aimed at improving nutrition and student acceptance of meals. Rooney introduced production chef Sandra Orozco as the central kitchen lead and described staff completing a chef‑foundation pre‑apprenticeship certified by the California Department of Labor.

Rooney said the department has redesigned menu items with student input and hands‑on training, citing examples such as apple cinnamon bread, a spicy chicken salad and pozole verde developed with students. She said the district is partnering with local farmers and vendors (Lopez Family Farm in Stanford, Madera Queen Honey, Old Grove Orange and Martinez Apiaries) to bring higher‑quality ingredients into school meals and to support farm‑to‑school education in classrooms.

Rooney presented meal totals for two school years: about 922,000 meals in school year 2023–24 and 983,000 meals in 2024–25, which she attributed to menu changes, greater student engagement and cross‑department teamwork. She also said the district has used grant funding (including a CDFA farm‑to‑school incubator award) to cover central kitchen positions after prior funding expired, and warned that some federal CalFresh Shelter Living funds have recently been cut, prompting the district to seek alternative sources.

Trustees asked whether family‑friendly recipe cards could be shared; Rooney said staff have created scaled family recipes and will consider posting them on the district website. Board members thanked cafeteria staff and cooks and praised the central kitchen’s apprenticeship work; one trustee noted that the department’s adjustments are helping reduce waste because students are more likely to eat meals they helped shape.

The board took no formal action on the presentation. The district’s nutrition staff also highlighted community outreach at recent events where volunteers and partners helped serve families and promote nutrition programs.