Director: Brooke Clifford

The Food & Nutrition Department is dedicated to supporting the educational process by providing nutritious, flavorful and affordable options that fuel students’ bodies and minds. We believe that meals should be both nourishing and enjoyable; we take pride in offering a variety of foods that excite our students and satisfy their diverse needs. All items sold & served within our schools are based on the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Arizona Healthy Schools Act (A.R.S. 15-242.01) is a statewide student health initiative taking effect in the 2026-2027 school year. The Arizona Healthy Schools Act prohibits public schools participating in federally funded meal programs from serving or selling ultra-processed foods containing certain additives and dyes during the school day. A.R.S. 15-242.01 defines ultra-processed foods as those containing one or more of the following ingredients:

• Potassium Bromate

• Propylparaben

• Titanium Dioxide

• Brominated vegetable oil

• Artificial food dyes (Yellow 5 & 6, Blue 1 & 2, Green 3, and Red 3 & 40)

These regulations apply during the "school day," defined as the period from midnight prior to 30 minutes after the conclusion of formal instruction. Parents are permitted to send ultra-processed foods for their children; the restriction only applies to food provided, served, or sold by a district employee or third-party school affiliate.

Ready to become a school lunch hero? Mesa Public Schools is looking for dedicated cafeteria workers to join our Food & Nutrition team! Come help us feed the future of Mesa and make a meaningful impact in our community.

We are hosting an upcoming career fair, and we want to meet you.

Event Details
Date: Thursday, July 16th
Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Location: Food & Nutrition | 143 S. Alma School Rd, Mesa, AZ 85210

Important Next Steps to Participate
To participate in the career fair, please complete the following prior to the event:

1. Pre-Register: Scan the QR code to the right, on the event flyer, or click here to pre-register.

2. Apply Online: You must submit your application before the career fair to participate. Please visit our Job Application Portal to complete and submit your application today.

We look forward to seeing you there!

SUN Bucks or Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program (SUN Bucks/Summer-EBT) provides grocery-buying benefits to low-income families with school-aged children who lose access to free or reduced-price school meals when schools are closed for the summer. The district’s Educational Benefits Form for CEP schools does not qualify students for SUN Bucks. SUN Bucks is a partnership between the Arizona Department of Education and the Arizona Department of Economic Security. Mesa Public Schools does not issue the EBT cards or case numbers.

The SUN Bucks application will close on August 3, 2026.

Visit the Arizona Department of Education’s website to see if your child is eligible for $120 and for more information on how to apply: www.azed.gov/SUNBucks

Summer EBT hotline/phone number: 833-648-4406