Thanks to a $25,000 grant from Legacy Health Endowment, the popular free summer food program run through the Denair High School and Denair Middle School kitchens will be expanded this year to include adults.

Beginning with the start of summer school on May 27, hundreds of breakfasts, lunches and suppers will be served daily – at no cost – to children, adults and seniors who live in the Denair community.

At Thursday night’s meeting of the Denair Unified School District board, trustees gratefully accepted the grant from Legacy, a nonprofit based in Turlock that seeks to improve the health of all residents in its service area. Providing nutritious and delicious food made from scratch certainly fits with that mission.

The project aims to combat food insecurity during the summer school break, ensuring families have consistent access to healthy meals before the new school year begins.

The summer food program is also funded through state and federal grants. It doesn’t cost the school district anything.

Meal times and locations will be:

• Breakfast: 7:30-9 a.m. at Denair Middle School
• Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., also at the middle school
• Dinner: 4-6 p.m. at Denair High School

The food program will run Monday through Friday through July 25, with the exception of July 1-4, when the staff will take a break.

In previous years, Food Services Manager Fuentez said about 250 children 18 and younger were served daily during May and June, when summer school was in session. She expects those numbers to dramatically rise this year with the addition of adults and an extra month of service.

Fuentez invited residents to “come and enjoy fresh and homemade happiness served at your local schools.” There will be plenty of space in both dining rooms for people to relax and enjoy their meals.

Typical menus will include homemade protein-rich breakfast burritos and breakfast bowls; lunches will feature tacos, spaghetti and a BBQ every Friday; and suppers will have an  Italian theme on Monday, Mexican on Tuesday and Asian on Thursday. Wednesday supper will be diner food such as meatloaf, roasted chicken, and baked macaroni and cheese. Fridays could be BBQ or a repeat of something popular earlier in the week.

Fuentez and her team of eight employees will do all the cooking.

“Each one has a servant’s heart and cooking soul, ready to create healthy and tasty meals,” she said.

The grant from Legacy Health will cover more than just food.

Students and families also will be eligible for free medical care through Community Health Centers of America. Where necessary, medical services can be provided in the home to ease the burden of travel to a medical facility. A research team is being formed by Legacy Health to determine the impact of the pilot project medically and financially.

In other action Thursday, the board: 

• Joined the audience in applause after Trustee Billy Myers announced at the beginning of the meeting that a former board member – Crystal Sousa – will take over as principal at Denair Elementary Charter Academy for the 2025-26 school year. Sousa was twice elected to the Denair board, but resigned March 14. She will replace Laura Cardenas, who announced in April she would be stepping down to help care for her elderly mother.
• Honored three retiring employees — independent study teacher Betsy Clark, district nurse Teresa Hodges and food service worker Rebecca Sullivan.
• Recognized 12 Denair High students who have earned the State Seal of Biliteracy on their diplomas — Andrea Mendoza, Andrea Padilla, Andrea Vasquez, Araceli Andrade, Ashley Hermosillo, Christopher Vilchis Perez, Darrelle Perez Reyes, Gabriela Verduzco Jacobo, Guillermo Arguelles Bravo, Hillary Perez, Oscar Bautista Ochoa and Vanessa Palacios. All have passed tests certifying they are fluent in English and Spanish.
• Thanked student board member Zachary Christianson for his service the past two years.
• Approved an agreement with the Denair Unified Teachers Association to conclude negotiations for the 2024-25 school year. The agreement includes a one-time payment equal to 4.39% in lieu of an ongoing increase to the salary schedule and increases some stipends that teachers receive based on degrees or credentials held.
• Heard a report from Denair High ag instructor Roger Christianson, who shared that there 141 FFA students in Denair. Of that number, 80 participated in Ag Day on April 17. That event drew about 1,000 students from all the school sites to the high school. For elementary students, the morning activities included three lessons on agriculture, a petting zoo, a tour of the vendors, and a picture with the Easter Bunny. Later, middle school and high school students enjoyed a BBQ lunch while checking out the animals and touring booths set up by nearly two dozen local vendors. Christianson also reported that 33% of the high school FFA members are enrolled in courses that could earn them credits at Modesto Junior College.