When school leaders talk about improving student outcomes, they usually start in the classroom. Ross Valley School District wanted the same, but in everything, not just the classroom. They looked to the cafeteria, and saw an opportunity.
Student participation was low. Their existing vendor’s food may have met requirements, but it was made with highly processed foods and wasn't attracting students.
This didn't make sense to us. California had so much fresh produce and access to quality local ingredients. Why not leverage it?
At the start of the 2025-2026 school year, Ross Valley changed their vendor and partnered with Ordo to transform their meal program.
The Results: Breakfast and Lunch Participation Each Increased by 60%+
It was a game-changing decision. Ordo brought in fresh, scratch-made meals—the kind of food that doesn’t need to be “sold” to students with posters and incentives. It just tasted delicious, felt familiar and approachable to students, and was healthy.
The Ordo team was also quick to adjust the menu and service plan based on feedback they heard from the Ross Valley staff. It was a distinctly different experience than what the district had been getting from their previous vendor.
Within a few months, the whole district saw the momentum. Participation had increased by 60% at breakfast and lunch and was continuing to climb.
After the first semester, one of the principals personally reached out to the Ordo team with this to say:
"I wanted to reach out to thank you and compliment you on the quality of the food, the environmentally conscious containers and friendly and responsive staff. We appreciate every effort you make to nourish our students.
In particular, the blueberry muffins today and the lunch offerings yesterday (salad and chicken taquitos) were super popular!!! Students kept saying "this is delicious!"
Thank you for caring about the products you serve to our next generation."
Since the beginning of the school year, participation skyrocketed by over 100% and has continued to sustain since then.
Why This Matters for School Leaders
Ross Valley’s story is a reminder that sometimes the fastest path to better participation is also the most straightforward:
- Serve food students actually want to eat
- Make meals feel fresh, not processed
- Listen early, adjust quickly, keep the experience consistent
The school district demonstrated what’s possible when school leaders treat food quality as a priority.
