The atmosphere at the Denair Elementary Charter Academy cafeteria on Friday was almost party-like as dozens of students enjoyed eating slices of pizza.
This was not an early Valentine’s Day celebration or a late Martin Luther King Jr. Day event, but rather the result of a unique partnership between the Denair Unified School District and a local pizzeria.
Pizza Factory, located at 4326 Main St., now provides Denair High School and Denair Middle School students with hot, handmade pepperoni and cheese pizza Monday through Friday at the campus food court. Denair Elementary Charter Academy students are able to enjoy Pizza Factory pies every other Friday, according to Food Service Manager Kim Fuentez.
“We’re really excited about this new partnership and the opportunity to provide our students with a healthy pizza option for lunch,” said Fuentez. “Besides, who doesn’t love pizza, right?”
On average, DUSD feeds about 900 hungry students each day – more than 200 high-schoolers, nearly 200 middle-schoolers, and 500 or more DECA students.
“I was once a manager in a pizza establishment,” said Fuentez. “So, I know what an enormous undertaking this is for Pizza Factory.”
A total of about 16 pies are delivered for DHS and DMS students each day at lunchtime. Every other week, roughly 40 more pies are delivered for DECA students. That’s a commitment of around 400 pizzas per month.
“We’re excited for this opportunity to partner with the district,” said Lorinda Megee, who co-owns Pizza Factory with her husband, Kevin Megee. “It’s a great way to give back to the community, and it’s nice way to get Pizza Factory’s name out there.”
To ensure that the pizzas meet school lunch nutritional guidelines, Pizza Factory uses a special wheat crust but all the other ingredients are the same used daily at the local pizzeria, said Megee.
Getting fresh-made pizzas is also saving the district money.
“That’s something not to be overlooked,” said Fuentez. “The district will be saving money on the overall cost per slice. It’s a win-win-win situation; a win for the district; a win for a local business; and a win for our students. And, to me, that’s the most important part: our kids will be getting quality food that they really enjoy.”
