At Pérez Elementary School in Southeast Austin, support extends from classroom to kitchen table. Families can now access free groceries — fresh produce, protein, dairy, and pantry staples — right at school, reducing stress at home and helping students show up ready to learn.
The Pérez “Python Pantry” is one of six new Feeding Futures School Pantry locations opening inside Austin ISD elementary schools, thanks to a deepening partnership between Austin ISD and the Central Texas Food Bank (CTFB). All food, refrigeration, and shelving are provided by CTFB, creating a welcoming, market-style experience in a place families already trust.
On January 13, students, families, school leaders, and partners gathered at Pérez Elementary to celebrate the official opening with a ribbon-cutting event.
Gabriela Salguero, a Pérez parent with a third grader, attended the event to see the pantry for herself.
“I think it’s great to have the food pantry available when it’s needed,” Salguero said. “You might not need it every week, but it’s available — especially now that everything’s so expensive. It’s about sharing and feeling safe knowing you have enough food for the week.”
The Feeding Futures School Pantry Program is designed to reduce barriers to food access by placing nutritious food directly where families already are. In addition to Pérez Elementary, new pantries are now open at Barbara Jordan Elementary School, Katherine A. Cook Elementary School, Ortega Elementary School, Padrón Elementary School, and Walnut Creek Elementary School. These locations expand upon the first AISD Feeding Futures pantry, which opened at Galindo Elementary School in 2025.
“If a kiddo brings hunger into the classroom, the teachers see it. There is no learning happening on empty bellies — and we understand that,” said Anurita Mittra, CTFB Vice President of Network Programs and Services. “When the kids are taken care of, and the families are taken care of, they’re able to focus on the wonderful services Austin ISD provides in the classroom and beyond. They’re able to actively engage — and that’s one of the biggest benefits we see from these pantries.”
Within the first two weeks of opening in December, before winter break, the Pérez pantry served more than 300 people — including some staff members — demonstrating the immediate need and impact of food access on campus.
Pérez Elementary Principal Kara Mitchell-Santibanez emphasized the pantry’s role in strengthening the school community.
“This pantry represents something really important to our school community — taking care of one another,” she said. “Each morning, our students recite the Python Pledge: I work hard. I have big dreams. I take care of my community, and my community takes care of me. The Python Pantry is exactly that — our community taking care of each other.”
By placing pantries inside schools, the Feeding Futures School Pantry program removes transportation barriers and reduces stigma, offering families consistent access to nutritious food.
“They’re not going to a pantry and standing in line,” Mittra added. “They’re coming into their own school. Schools are a beacon of hope for so many communities — a trusted, central place.”
AISD Superintendent Matias Segura echoed the importance of schools as hubs of support.
“Because of this partnership, Pérez is becoming a true hub for families,” Segura said. “This support helps ensure families have access to the essentials they need to succeed and thrive every single day.”
Across Travis County, nearly one in five residents experience food insecurity, including more than 61,000 children. Together, these six new pantries bring the total number of CTFB school pantries across its 21-county service area to 15 — reinforcing a shared commitment to increasing food access and strengthening long-term family stability. [View all pantry locations.]
As families walk out of school doors with backpacks, children, and groceries in hand, the impact is clear: when food access is reliable, students are better prepared to learn today — and families are better positioned to build a stronger tomorrow.
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