Benefits of closed lunch?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think this is really about whether teenagers “deserve freedom.” It’s more about equity, safety, and school operations.

A closed lunch works at many high schools across the country, including very large schools. Schools still manage clubs, tutoring, makeup tests, rehearsals, and social spaces by staggering lunches and using classrooms, libraries, courtyards, and other areas; not just the cafeteria.

Open lunch also creates equity issues. Students with cars, money, and nearby food options have a very different experience from students who don’t. It can unintentionally highlight socioeconomic differences during the school day.

There are also real safety and supervision concerns with hundreds of students driving around or leaving campus daily: traffic accidents, truancy, vaping/substance use off campus, and difficulty accounting for students during emergencies.

And the “cafeterias are too small” argument doesn’t fully hold up because schools with 3,000 students already operate with multiple lunch waves and students spread across different spaces.

I understand why some families like open lunch, especially for older students, but schools absolutely can support clubs, test makeups, and student independence without requiring students to leave campus during the school day.

This has been discussed since at least 1999:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1999/10/16/many-schools-closing-campus-during-lunch/6ff1366d-19d2-415c-a2c6-be27177ad585/

You can’t cry about how much MCPS spends on litigation and then argue for letting thousands of teenagers roam the streets for an hour a day.

+1

The white liberal moms gnashing their teeth because they don't get to keep things the way they were can't handle having their bubble burst.

Get over it. Closed lunch is the norm in most the of the country and the world.

I have a BCC graduate and a current BCC junior. Why should they be penalized because something that happened at Whitman? My kids are not privileged and mostly have stayed on campus to play sports, do makeup tests or attend club meetings. But they also occasionally run to local businesses to grab lunch. Open campus for schools that can support it are not a risk or a community problem.

How about what happened near BCC? Would you want your kids caught in gunfire? https://www.fox5dc.com/news/two-arrested-after-fight-gunfire-near-bethesda-chevy-chase-high-school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why can't schools bring food trucks?

We get food trucks on Fridays at work. They usually take much longer to serve everyone than seems worth the timing. There’s no way a food truck or two could serve a mass amount of kids during a one hour lunch.

WJ has food trucks sometimes. Usually 2 on a day they have them. They send out information a few days in advance, and kids are encouraged to order online ahead of time.

It works for another option, but definitely couldn't serve everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am curious what food do normally kids go out to get lunch during open lunch, fast food? Is it worth it to drive or walk back/forth?

Chipotle, Starbucks, grocery store, CVS snacks, pizza.

Mall food court (even though they aren't supposed to).

I had one in private (lunch provided) and one at WJ. I am willing to pay for lunch daily for WJ kid. It is worth it to me not to deal with lunch. My kid is welcome to pack their own or buy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think this is really about whether teenagers “deserve freedom.” It’s more about equity, safety, and school operations.

A closed lunch works at many high schools across the country, including very large schools. Schools still manage clubs, tutoring, makeup tests, rehearsals, and social spaces by staggering lunches and using classrooms, libraries, courtyards, and other areas; not just the cafeteria.

Open lunch also creates equity issues. Students with cars, money, and nearby food options have a very different experience from students who don’t. It can unintentionally highlight socioeconomic differences during the school day.

There are also real safety and supervision concerns with hundreds of students driving around or leaving campus daily: traffic accidents, truancy, vaping/substance use off campus, and difficulty accounting for students during emergencies.

And the “cafeterias are too small” argument doesn’t fully hold up because schools with 3,000 students already operate with multiple lunch waves and students spread across different spaces.

I understand why some families like open lunch, especially for older students, but schools absolutely can support clubs, test makeups, and student independence without requiring students to leave campus during the school day.

This has been discussed since at least 1999:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1999/10/16/many-schools-closing-campus-during-lunch/6ff1366d-19d2-415c-a2c6-be27177ad585/

You can’t cry about how much MCPS spends on litigation and then argue for letting thousands of teenagers roam the streets for an hour a day.

+1

The white liberal moms gnashing their teeth because they don't get to keep things the way they were can't handle having their bubble burst.

Get over it. Closed lunch is the norm in most the of the country and the world.

I have a BCC graduate and a current BCC junior. Why should they be penalized because something that happened at Whitman? My kids are not privileged and mostly have stayed on campus to play sports, do makeup tests or attend club meetings. But they also occasionally run to local businesses to grab lunch. Open campus for schools that can support it are not a risk or a community problem.

How about what happened near BCC? Would you want your kids caught in gunfire? https://www.fox5dc.com/news/two-arrested-after-fight-gunfire-near-bethesda-chevy-chase-high-school

Whitman?
Blake?
Norwood?
WJ?
Did posters miss ALL the other high schools where there has been an emergency situation?
irreparable trauma on the students and families. Never forget.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're at Bethesda-Chevy Chase, for which MCPS chose not to expand the cafeteria in its previous additions to the building. It's about 8 times too small! BCC has had open lunch for decades (as in, alumni parents of current students also had open lunch), because of the convenience of downtown restaurants.

The rest of the building is quite small as well, so if everyone were to stay inside, it would get quite crowded and noisy.

The school has clubs and make-up tests during lunch, but a lot of students come and go, or just spend the entire break getting fresh air, unless the weather is awful. The restaurants and shops are glad to have the business, and in recent years there have been no significant behavioral concerns at lunchtime.

The only upside of switching to closed lunch would be to protect against a potential school shooter, honestly. Otherwise it's all downside for us.

I am strongly in favor of keeping the current policy that lets Principals choose whether to open or close lunch.

MCPS long cheaped-out on adequate school facilities for our students, in my opinion. Another case of not getting our tax dollars worth.

[Anonymous]

Why didn't they build bigger eating spaces at the high schools that have had renovations/additions?