An open campus lunch is a policy that is typically set by a high school about how students can access the foods they eat during their meal in the middle of the day. These policies are usually set by either the school district board, a state board of education, or an oversight committee. Some principals are given the permission to set individual policies for specific schools, class years (junior, senior, etc.) or even individuals. Show One such example of an open campus lunch policy exists in California. The Stockton Unified School District board offers detailed provisions to create an open campus, yet it also provides the school principal to close the campus if there are justifiable reasons to do so. Most policymakers include the superintendent of each district with the decision as well. It is essential to remember that an open campus lunch or policy does not exist on its own in a vacuum. There must be community support, policy goals, and situational facts that are specific to that school or region that must be taken into consideration. Without these resources, the policies or laws which govern the situation can be ignored, rendered useless, or even become harmful to the students. If your district is considering an open campus lunch, then here are the pros and cons that you will want to discuss with your elected officials and school administrators. List of the Pros of Open Campus Lunch1. It offers high-performing
students an opportunity to experience a reward. 2. It can be a way to teach students time management skills. 3. It can be used to take a breather from the stresses of the day. 4. It is a way to support local businesses that are in close
proximity to the school. 5. It can be a way for some students to spend some extra time at home. 6. It can be a way for families to save some money. The price might seem nice at first glimpse, but the cost of a school lunch for families who do not qualify for reduced pricing can be prohibitive. Imagine a family with three kids all in high school. Using the pricing from above, they will be spending $48 per week on the privilege of this midday meal. Assuming that there 180 educational days where this food is necessary, their parents would spend $1,728 on lunches throughout the year. 7. It creates an opportunity for students to learn real-life lessons. 8. It offers students a chance to get some extra exercise during the day. When these students are able to release this pent-up energy, then it can reduce the temptation to cause mischief or all of the other ways that bored students try to entertain themselves during the day. 9. It offers students a chance to prove why adults can trust them. 10. It provides students with an opportunity to find better quality food items. This issue was highlighted by a salmonella recall of ground beef from a meat-packing plant in 2009. Even though grocery stores and restaurants could not serve food items that had been shipped from the facility, the items going to American schools were still authorized for use. If it is not safe for the general public to eat these items, then how can it be appropriate for students to be eating the same things? 11. It allows students with specific dietary needs to have their needs met. List of the Cons of Open Campus Lunch1. It can place the lives of students at risk while they travel. 2. It may not offer students a lunch that meets nutritional guidelines. Although some students do make healthy choices, a study that the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity published found that teens attending a school with an open campus lunch were much more likely to have a meal at a quick-service restaurant than students who attended classes in a district with a closed campus. 3. It could reduce the number of fruits and
vegetables that students consume. 4. It increases the risk of truancy, tardiness, or skipping. 5. It creates an opportunity for students to make poor, unsupervised choices. 6. It costs more to eat off-campus than it does to have a school lunch. 7. It may cause some students to bring back food items that become a distraction in the classroom. 8. It creates a safety risk for the school campus. A Final Thought About Open Campus Lunch PoliciesMore than half of the children in the United States who are in school today are on track to be classified as medically obese by the time they reach the age of 35. Sugary drinks at school could be contributing to this potential epidemic. A single carton of flavored mil will add up to 4 teaspoons of sugar to the daily diet of a child. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue argued in late 2018 that providing nutritious lunches in school was a needless cost. “It doesn’t do any good to serve nutritious meals if they wind up in the trash can,” he said in November on a post on the USDA website. The reality of school lunches is that they may not meet the specific health needs of some students. There are times when teens could make better, more nutritious choices outside of the cafeteria. Even if they only bring a sack lunch that they eat somewhere off-campus, the benefits of this policy can come to light. The pros and cons of an open campus lunch attempt to balance the benefits of personal freedom and time management responsibilities with the need for continued oversight. Some students will definitely benefit from this policy, while it could also be detrimental to others. That is why each district, along with each set of school administrators, are often given the task of deciding what they think is best for their students. If there are restrictions involved that allow the most mature teens to enjoy this privilege, it generally works out well for all of the parties involved. Author Bio Should students be allowed to go out for lunch?Leaving the school during lunch would help students relax and temporarily forget about the stress school brings them. Getting away will also give students the energy to tackle the rest of the day. Students that stay at school will also get more room in the cafeteria because it would be less crowded.
What are the pros of having a longer lunch?Longer school lunch periods, especially longer seated lunch times, result in less food waste as well as improved student performance, cognitive function, physical health, and social/emotional health.
Why should we have open campus lunch?Open campus lunches in high school are meant to give the students more freedom during the school day. In a lot of ways, open campus lunches would teach the students responsibility, while providing them a break from their busy school day. This also offers a reward for high-performing students.
What are the benefits of an open campus?Having an open campus is beneficial because it allows students to gain independence, responsibility, trust, the health of students, socialize with friends, and help increase business at local restaurants.
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