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District showcases new child-nutrition menu, local farm partnerships and federal study participation
Summary
Child Nutrition leaders described menu changes, scratch-made items, partnerships with local farms and vendors, grant-funded equipment purchases (~$485,000), a 7.2% increase in lunch engagement, and selection for a USDA study by Mathematica.
Child Nutrition staff presented program changes the district says increased student engagement and expanded local sourcing.
Anna Martinez, manager of Child Nutrition, and Chef Richard Pereira described a shift toward in-house, scratch-made menu items (breakfast calzones, muffins, French toast casserole, freshly made hamburgers and sauces) and cultural-sensitivity training for staff. Martinez said the district served more than half a million meals last year and reported a 7.2% increase in lunch engagement.
Staff highlighted partnerships with local farms and minority-owned suppliers, a Local Farm to School grant and an LFS kit grant that helped replace outdated equipment. Martinez cited a grant amount "a little over $485,000" for kit funds and noted that the district purchased more than 2,000 pounds of ground beef from a local supplier and over 600 pounds of fresh produce from small farms.
The district will add a food kiosk at Golden West to support the sixth-grade expansion and plans events such as a Future Chef competition on May 7. Travis Unified was also one of about 1,000 districts selected for the 2024–25 National School Food study by Mathematica for USDA, which will examine meal nutrition, costs and waste.
Board members praised staff and noted the importance of matching kitchen capacity to increased meal volume; the board discussed aligning facility upgrades (some bond-funded) with the nutrition program's expanded role.
