Students all around the district have complained about the school lunches. Since COVID hit, we lost the options we used to have. Some of us find ourselves having to choose between options we don’t like or can’t even have, not to mention the lack of options for students with dietary restrictions.  On top of this, the lunch line can get crowded quickly, causing students to stand in line for over half of their lunch period waiting for their food. However, there is a way to help fix this problem for everyone, open campus lunches. 

An open campus means children are free to leave when needed, such as for lunch. West High has a closed campus meaning students are prohibited from leaving the building without being called out by a guardian. While students only have 30 minutes between classes for lunch, this still gives students enough time to run to McDonalds, Chick-Fil-A, Kwik Star, and other places around West where we can get something to eat that we actually enjoy. 

Open campus lunches can also boost the economy of the community. A Scooter’s Coffee is being built right down the street from West High and realistically, some of it’s best business will come from the high school students recharging with caffeine. Cabin Coffee also gets heavy traffic in the mornings and during lunch with high school students. 

With open campus lunches comes the fear of students missing out on class time and a growing rate of tardies. Students can avoid this by getting their food and then returning back to school to finish eating. With this, students can enjoy their favorite foods while still making it back in time for fifth or sixth period.

In a survey that polled 305 random West High students, 99.3% (303 students) stated that if they had the opportunity to leave West for lunch, they would return in time to attend their next classes, making sure they are not sacrificing their learning time when they leave. Out of the 305 students surveyed, 91.1% (278 students) hope West transitions into open campus lunches.