Lunchtime Ruckus

A school problem that we can help fix!

As many of you know, last year the government provided all students with free meals. It did not matter what parents' wages were–we all got food for free. To put it in simple terms, our school lunches do not meet students' expectations. Students find these meals unsatisfactory, due to the low quality and quantity. Don't get me wrong, this is not the lunch ladies’ fault. They work tirelessly to get all this food prepared. They do not have it easy! Could you imagine trying to get over two hundred meals prepared for five days in a row every week? It is absurd! Currently there are countless staff members and school board members working as hard as they can to change this.

On September 21st, we met with Ms. Megan Adams, the school systems’ nutritional director, to see what we can do about this school issue and how we can get our voices heard. Ms. Adams was extremely kind and was more than willing to work with us. She explained that like most places, we are struggling from supply chain issues. Some people may have noticed this as some of their favorite meals may not be on the menu. Ms. Adams explained to us that they really are trying their best to get everything back for us. What they can not get back, they are trying to make up for. This can be seen in our cafeteria even now. Fresh fruits and berries have been added and more dipping sauces have been introduced.

Although it is very difficult to stay within the parameters of nutrition regulations, Ms. Adams is doing everything in her power to provide us better lunches and it is really showing! The prices of the lunches are still an issue. As briefly mentioned, the price of school lunches has increased to three dollars this year. We asked Ms. Adams for an explanation of this and she explained it all! To briefly sum up what Ms. Adams said, the prices of our lunches are not up to the schools. It is determined by our state legislators. While members of the administration are trying to get it lowered, there are some things that you can do. If school lunch prices are too much for your family to pay, there are forms to fill out to see if you qualify for free lunches! Not only this, but emailing our Tennessee legislators and getting the word out about this issue could lead to a drastic change. So let's do our part and reach out to get potential bills passed in our favor!