Round Rock ISD held a ribbon cutting Nov. 13 for its Trailblazer Market, a food pantry located on the Joe Lee Johnson Elementary School campus.
The pantry, which opened in August, is a collaborative effort of the school district, the Central Texas Food Bank and the city of Austin.
How it works
Campus principal Michelle Dean said students and their families can come to the market each week, choosing from fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and nonperishable items. Generally, she said families have been able to take home about $150 worth of groceries each week.
The pantry’s opening is timely, she said, as the proportion of students enrolled at the campus who are classified as economically disadvantaged has increased to 71% in the 2026-27 school year, up from 59% last year.
“In education, we all know that before we can grow people, we have to meet their basic needs,” Dean said. “So, I'm proud to stand here today because today is a celebration of doing just that, meeting the needs of our community."
According to the district, the pantry is accessible to all district families and staff as campus staffing allows. It is not the only food pantry in the district, as several campuses operate their own pantries.
About the program
The market is the first pantry in RRISD that is part of the CTFB’s Feeding Futures program. Anurita Mittra, vice president of network programs and services for CTFB, said the program’s goal is to reduce barriers to food access for families.
The pantry also receives funding from the city of Austin. District 6 council member Krista Laine and District 7 council member Mike Siegel said they worked to ensure funding for the program was included in the city’s latest budget cycle.
Siegel said the initiative was spurred by cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which were announced last year.
“City Council wanted to do everything we could to fill in the gaps, to make sure we truly have a safety net,” Siegel said.
