Oct. 3, 2012
Kathy Dzewaltowski, observer
Dr. Robert Seymour, Associate Superintendent, reported that the district's enrollment numbers on Sept. 20th showed an increase of 93 students, 30 of which were preschool students.
The board held a public hearing to provide citizens with the opportunity to comment on whether MHS should continue to have "open" lunch, meaning students are allowed to leave campus over lunch, or whether lunch should be "closed," and students would have to stay on campus. Prior to the public hearing, parents, students, faculty, and staff had the opportunity to complete an online survey as to their preferences. Lunch is currently "closed" at MHS East Campus, and the majority of respondents preferred to keep it that way. Fifty-seven percent of parents and 99% of students favored continuing to have "open" lunch at MHS West Campus. Reasons for continuing to have "open" lunch included it develops student responsibility, food options are better outside of school, "open" lunch provides stress relief, there's not enough cafeteria space to seat all students, and some suggested modifications, like only allowing juniors and seniors to leave campus.
Reasons provided by survey respondents for having "closed" lunch included it's safer at school, negative behaviors occur when students are away from campus, school cafeteria food is healthier, and concerns about students driving over lunch.
MHS Principal Terry McCarty said he supported continuing to have "open" lunch because it teaches students time and fiscal management. Doug Messer, Director of Transportation, favored going to "closed" lunch because he felt allowing students to leave campus creates a safety issue for the district. He also suggested that maybe 10th grade students should not be allowed to leave campus and possibly only juniors and seniors should have the privilege. Kari Quiton, Drug and Alcohol Prevention Coordinator, expressed concerns about substance abuse occurring while students are away from campus during lunch. Gordon Thornton, special education teacher, favored "open" lunch because he was concerned about the cafeteria's capacity to hold all of the students if they were not allowed to leave. If lunch were "closed," he thought there might need to be three lunch periods instead of the current two. He also wondered how allowing only juniors and seniors to leave campus would be enforced. Parents who spoke supported continuing to have "open" lunch, and high school students who addressed the board all expressed the opinion that "open" lunch helps students to learn responsibility and develop time management skills.
The board plans to make a decision about open/closed lunch at its Oct. 17th meeting.
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