At Aurora Public Schools (APS), the mission to serve healthy school meals for all goes beyond nourishment. It’s about creating real experiences around food that students look forward to. And at Vista PEAK Preparatory in Aurora, Colorado, that mission has taken on a fresh twist: serving bright, flavorful orange juice squeezed on-site through Citrus America’s CITROCASA juicing program.
From Cartons to Fresh Squeeze
The idea started simply. The Nutrition Services team wondered what might happen if students could enjoy the same kind of high-quality juice found at a café, right in their own cafeteria.
“We already served carton juice,” recalls Joe Buehmann, Project and Equipment Manager for the public school district’s Nutrition Services, “but we wanted to see if we could provide something fresher and more appealing. We got a demo machine, and the students loved it.”
The reaction was immediate. “They’ll literally stand in line for it,” Buehmann says. “We even tried pre-juicing, but they said, ‘No, we want it fresh.’ So now we’re looking into getting a higher-capacity machine just to keep up with demand.”
When Citrus America representatives visited Vista PEAK, they saw that enthusiasm firsthand. The breakfast line moved in waves as the juicer worked nonstop to meet demand; a true test of the machine’s speed and reliability. As Citrus America founder and CEO Brian Framson noted afterward, the question wasn’t how much juice the school needed per day or per week, but how much they could produce in a 45-minute window during breakfast.
A Partnership Rooted in Curiosity and a Little Serendipity
The connection between Aurora Public Schools and Citrus America began with Christopher Medved, Account Executive at Total Source Equipment and Supply, who represents Citrus America in the Denver area.
Medved recalls that the idea took shape soon after he started with the company. “We had Aurora Public Schools to our office, where we made them a whole bunch of snacks, and we actually used the juicer and just kind of pitched the idea to them…like, “‘Hey, what if you put this in front of your students?’ And they absolutely loved the idea.”
From that spark, things moved steadily. “It took a little while, but I would say, you know, within about six months, they had that juicer in their office and then they rolled it out to the school,” Medved says. “And they, you know, the feedback was really positive pretty quickly.”
A Natural Fit for a Fresh-Focused Mission
The fresh-juice program aligned perfectly with APS’s focus on wholesome, locally sourced foods. “The juice tastes amazing. It’s not bitter because of the way the machine cuts the peel,” Buehmann says.
“The students can see the oranges being juiced right in front of them, and they know it’s not filled with sugar or preservatives. It’s as fresh as it gets.”
As Medved puts it, “The Citrus America juicer kind of lends itself to that excitement. It’s a guest-facing juicer. It’s a beautiful piece of equipment. And having that captive audience of those kids, I think, who also need the nutritional benefits, can benefit from the nutritional aspect of the fresh juice. It was kind of a no-brainer. I think it’s a piece of equipment that when you see it in action, you’re kind of mesmerized by it. And you want to know exactly, ‘Ooh, what’s that? And how does it work?’”
Colorado’s Healthy School Meals for All program, approved by voters in 2022 and launched statewide in 2023, has made these kinds of initiatives easier to implement. The law provides free, nutritious meals for every K–12 student, regardless of household income, allowing districts to focus less on cost recovery and more on creativity.
“It takes the burden off parents and ensures kids are eating balanced meals,” Buehmann says. “Juice even counts toward their fruit and vegetable components.”
Framson sees this kind of innovation as part of a larger national shift: schools leading the way in helping make America healthy again, starting with kids and real, unprocessed foods.
Why Vista PEAK Was the Perfect Starting Point
Vista PEAK Preparatory proved an ideal pilot because of its open-minded, motivated staff. “They’re great at incorporating new products,” Buehmann says. “We knew they’d embrace the program and get creative.”
Medved agrees, crediting kitchen manager Amy Schroeder for setting the tone. “She’s just fantastic, and she loves to try new things,” he says. “The staff at that kitchen are much more open to change and to sort of trying new things.”
Breakfast service now runs like clockwork. “They start juicing about five or ten minutes before breakfast,” Joe explains. “Then they just keep juicing to replenish stock as students come through.”
Both Medved and Framson saw that energy firsthand. “When those doors opened in the morning, it was an absolute deluge,” Medved recalls. “Kids came through the doors and they lined up immediately for that fresh juice. There were a few students definitely who were like, ‘Oh, wait, what are they doing? That’s fresh juice? Are you kidding me?’ … People were lined up quite a ways back to get the fresh juice.”
Reliable Machines, Real Results
For staff, ease of use and reliability have been key. “The machines have been super reliable,” Buehmann says. “As long as we don’t drop parts in the garbage disposal, they’ve been bulletproof.”
Training was handled by Citrus America through Medved, who says, “My favorite sort of environment to work in this industry is in the school kitchens because the folks who work there are just so fun and always in a good mood and they’re very grateful for bringing something new to them at times and just showing them how things work.”
He also notes the juicer’s durability. “It’s also a very robust machine. There’s not a lot of parts on there that can break. It’s 95% stainless steel.”
With such success, expansion was a natural next step.
"Another high school has already added a juicer, with more expected across the district’s 63 schools,” Buehmann says.
Innovation Beyond the Cafeteria
Fresh juice is just one example of APS’s forward-thinking approach. The district’s annual Meet and Eat show invites students, parents, and teachers to sample new menu items and vote on what makes it to the menu. They also launched A-Town Eats, a drive-through kiosk where students can pick up breakfast burritos, coffee, or even family-size dinners to take home, keeping kids on campus while offering healthy convenience.
That culture of innovation comes from leadership. Medved describes former APS Nutrition Services Director Shannon Solomon, now Deputy Chief Operations Officer, as “an industry leader in the school nutrition world. She is incredibly knowledgeable and forward-thinking. She’s super progressive when it comes to her program. And that’s kind of indicative of why they have this juicer, I think, and other school districts don’t.”
Looking Ahead
For Buehmann, the success speaks for itself. “Students love fresh juice,” he says. “They taste the difference, and they’ll wait in line for it. That says it all.”
At Aurora Public Schools, freshness isn’t just a flavor…it’s a philosophy that’s transforming how students experience school meals, one glass at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions About Healthy School Meals
What are the benefits of providing fresh-squeezed juice in schools?
Fresh-squeezed juice offers superior nutritional benefits compared to traditional cartons because it is free from added sugars and preservatives. Using Citrus America’s CITROCASA juicers also ensures a better taste profile by preventing the bitterness typically associated with processed peels.
How does Colorado’s Healthy School Meals for All program support these initiatives?
The statewide program, approved by voters in 2022, provides free, nutritious meals to every K–12 student regardless of income. This allows school districts like Aurora Public Schools to focus on creative, fresh-focused quality rather than just cost recovery.
Is the juicing equipment difficult for school cafeteria staff to maintain?
No, the machines are designed for high-volume environments and are built primarily from stainless steel for durability. Staff at Vista PEAK Preparatory have found them to be highly reliable and easy to operate after initial training.
How do fresh juice programs fit into federal nutrition requirements?
Fresh juice is a versatile addition to the cafeteria because it counts directly toward the fruit and vegetable components required for balanced school meals. This makes it an efficient way to meet nutrition standards while increasing student participation.
How can students and parents influence the school menu?
Aurora Public Schools hosts an annual "Meet and Eat" show where students, parents, and teachers can sample potential menu items. Attendees vote on their favorite products, ensuring that the food served—including fresh juice—is something the community actually wants.
