When April Rancier was laid off from her corporate position at Dell, she had one thing clear: She wanted to spend more time with her children. However, after several years in the corporate sector, she was unsure of what type of work could allow her to be on the same schedule as her kids. Thatโs when a new neighbor moved in and made an intriguing suggestion: Serve as a โlunch ladyโ in Leander ISD.
Rancier took the suggestion to heart, and in October 2015, she joined the Leander ISD Child Nutrition Services (CNS) team.
โThe thought had never really crossed my mind,โ Rancier said. โBut I tried it out and I fell in love with both the culture and the people.โ
Despite leaving the corporate sector, Rancier still integrates the skills she gained from that experience into her CNS role.
โI have a lot of streamlining operations in my background,โ Rancier said. โI try to incorporate that into our kitchen. Try to make things faster, more efficient and keep quality at a good standard.โ
In the nine years that sheโs been in the district, Rancier has been able to enjoy some very special moments, like opening Danielson Middle School in 2020 and spending time in the same school as her son.
โI had the pleasure of opening this school,โ Rancier said. โMy youngest son got to be here with me while he completed 6th-8th grade. That was an amazing time. You get to have your student here with you. You get to see them every day in their element, and they get to see you in yours.โ
For Rancier, Danielson is the heart of her community.
โDanielson really feels like home because my neighborhood children go here,โ she said. โWeโve created a culture in which we try to embody the Stacy K. Danielson Way. Weโre always reminding our Bearkats of that, and we try to embody that ourselves.โ
Rancier has proven to be an essential part of the Danielson CNS team. In fact, she was recently promoted to a team lead position.
โI stepped into this role just three days into the school year, so itโs been an adjustment,โ Rancier said. โBut Iโm very proud of the ladies I work with and what weโve accomplished so far. I canโt wait to see how we will continue to improve.โ
Now in the new team lead role, Rancier continues to build relationships both in and out of the kitchen. In October, she was named CNS employee of the month.
โApril has done an outstanding job these past few weeks training an almost brand new team,โ said Chelsea Parks, Leander ISD CNS supervisor. โWe are so proud of the work she does and her dedication to Danielson.โ
To celebrate Danielson students, Rancier has hung different student club T-shirts and sports jerseys in the serving area. Her team says this helps students feel welcomed as they line up for meals.
Reflecting on the recognition sheโs received recently, Ranicer says she is humbled by it.
โI want my team to be celebrated,โ Rancier said. โItโs not so much me, itโs them. Iโm only half of it, theyโre the big part of it.โ
