Imagine leaving school to buy lunch and get a nice little happy meal from McDonald’s, or a #1 sandwich from Popeyes, but you can’t. You’re not allowed to leave school, so you have to get up early in the morning to get food from somewhere else, and by the time it’s lunch, it will be cold. Sheetz, McDonald’s, Arby’s, and Subway are located close to the school yet none of the seniors are allowed to leave to enjoy the crispy Mcfries or delicious tenders from Popeyes.

There are slight issues with allowing seniors to exit school grounds. The students who are more prone to misbehaving would be included with those allowed to leave, other issues include food costs, gas, bad drivers, etc. It’s also important to keep in mind that the school would have to make another form of profit to make up for the missing money for the seniors who wouldn’t buy lunch, and students who struggle with the responsibility could have this privilege taken away, it has happened once before with “One Lunch”, it only takes a few bad apples to affect everyone else involved. 

Seniors around Liberty High School were asked what they thought about all seniors being allowed to go off school grounds to buy food. Seniors are now getting their licenses and driving to school on their own, with many also having jobs to support themselves and something many seniors would love is the opportunity to use their hard-earned dollars to buy their food. Many Seniors have already expressed their interest in this idea. 

“They should be allowed to leave because lunch can be expensive”, state senior, Mia Cabrera 

“I think seniors should be allowed to go out because they can drive and if they’re responsible then they can go out to get some food they like,” said senior, Nicole Pearson

Even if seniors were allowed to leave school to get lunch, a significant issue would be seen almost immediately. Lunch is incredibly short, and if this idea was implemented for anyone who wants to eat outside food, there would be a massive time crunch that wouldn’t allow them to enjoy their lunch or get to school before the lunch shift ends. The solution would be simple, extending lunch, which is an idea that many seniors reflected. 

“It has to be extended because no one is going to be able to get to the gas station and back with food on time since there’s going to be traffic,” said senior, Erica Mcgee  

“They should be allowed to bring back 1 lunch so we would have more time.” senior, Sydney Stachitas.

The ability to go out is an idea that appeals to many seniors since the majority of them now have licenses, cars, and jobs that can support their hopes of getting food of their choosing. School lunch doesn’t appeal to everyone’s taste. However, leaving school to get lunch would be a privilege which would mean that there should be consequences for those who don’t respect the rules that would be set by the administration.

If lunch were extended, there would have to be a designated time to return and this is where the punishments would be added for late students or students who choose to not come back to school. Lunch would remain in shifts however one shift will be longer than the rest which allows students to go to a gas station or fast food place nearby and come back to school on time, The school could even implement a list of places allowed within a certain radius of the school to ensure that students will return to school on time. While the idea of a senior extended lunch could be made, the major issue would be trust and responsibility with the students, Although the majority of students understand and respect the rules, there may be some that use this opportunity to take advantage of the time away. Many students would say yes, but not everyone will abide by the rules set and the trust given, This is why punishments for seniors are vital as they will enforce consequences for those who don’t follow the rules and continue to allow those who respect the rules to enjoy their own choices in food. Students who don’t come back to school would end up with after-school detention. If a senior receives 3 tardies or has after-school detention, then they wouldn’t be allowed to go out for food unless change and improvements are shown. If too many students have this issue, then the privilege of leaving school would be taken from all seniors. The punishment and trust in the seniors became a clashing idea, with many seniors having different ideas for punishments and whether seniors could be trusted leaving school. 

 “No, I think a lot of people would abuse it and not come back to school,” said Senior Cole Hoffman

“I think if you’ve had multiple tardies or you’re at the point where you’ve gotten tardy referrals, there should be limits for those students. If they leave and then come back late, who’s to say they aren’t going to be late again?” said senior Ash Tavarez.

 “I don’t think it’s a good idea because people would probably just walk out of school for the day,” explained senior, Aiden Neidich.“Some people can’t handle too much responsibility and knowing how many seniors are, I don’t think they could be trusted with leaving and coming back on their own,” 

“I think if students don’t follow the rules, they should get detention or lunch detention,” said senior Savannah Bouck.

Students have many different views on the topic however a change like this would impact much more than just them. Even changing things around slightly would be a lot for staff and other faculty to handle, and there would have to be a system to keep track of students, to make sure none have left school with the intention of not returning. Although many seniors are in support of the idea, others have come out with their opinions and concerns about the idea.

“I don’t think they could be trusted and I don’t know if staff and the faculty could keep track of so many students,” said Ms. Hunsley.

“If you aren’t able to show up on time then you should not be able to leave,” said Lane Heron.

This idea is controversial with neither side outweighing the other, however, it does show the importance of school lunch to the students. At Yorktown High School in Arlington, they have implemented the idea of students leaving for lunch. They give out a form for both the parents and students to sign, and it seems they have been fairly successful. Hopefully, someday we will be able to implement a similar in our school. As the idea continues to grow on both sides, It would be great to allow the last year of high school for seniors to be the one where they can enjoy every aspect there is to entering adulthood.