Should Off Campus Lunch Be Allowed?

By: Lauren Sannito 42Fifty Staff Writer

Four years have gone by here at Oswego High School, and many people have been hoping for a change with students allowed to go off campus for lunch. The case of, “More freedom, comes more responsibility”. Many students agree that off campus lunch should exist, but safety is also an issue.

When students enter the parking lot, and then walk into school, they are technically made the school’s responsibility for the time being that the student is there. Plenty of schools in the U.S. allow off campus lunch, but safety is now adding a whole new factor. With the past 19 school shootings, all of which happened within the first 45 days of the year, parents are scared to even let their children go to school. With letting their kids leave campus for lunch, that is putting them into a whole new risk of danger.

Another factor that could plan into this decision is that security would have to strengthen. Getting back into the school should not be easy, especially if kids are going in and out of the school’s doors all day. Students should have to have an I.D. present at all times, and show it to the security at the school. Now would detectors play a role as well? To make sure people don’t leave and bring back objects they shouldn’t, a certain security routine should take place.

Childhood obesity plays a small role as well. Considering most students would leave school and get fast food, it wouldn’t improve those obesity rates at all. Not having off campus lunch has a convincing argument against the topic.

Now there are two sides to an argument. Students can also argue that the school’s lunch room doesn’t meet their dietary needs or issues. Such as, someone who is gluten free, or dairy free, won’t have as many options as everyone else. Even if someone is a picky eater, they should be able to get what they want to eat. Which is a very strong argument. But, some students do not even eat their school lunch because it is so nasty, or some kids have gotten sick from it.

The alternative would be have that student pack a lunch. Well some students don’t have time to pack a lunch, or their parents may not even be home to do it for them. Therefore, it would make it a tad bit easier on both the students and the parents if we had off campus lunch. Convenience and working with parents isn’t much of a priority in a school’s administration anymore. If school districts focused more on meeting students needs, and being convenient for families, maybe off campus lunch would be a topic of discussion.

Both sides bring a great argument to the table, but in the end, who is right? Do schools across the nation allow kids to go off school grounds to get lunch? Or do they keep students on school grounds where administration can keep an eye on the student body?

Lauren Sannito covers both, Oswego High School and community news. She can be reached at 61001122@students.sd308.org Or contact the publication directly at 42fifty@sd308.org