Lunchtime limits on school board agenda
JANESVILLE — Their parents probably know. After all, it was one of the reasons some of them voted to expand the city’s high schools in last year’s referendum.
But kids being kids, they probably didn’t notice.
Monday night, one of them asked. Parker High School senior Sherri Goff brought it up during a question-and-answer session with the Janesville School Board.
The session was arranged so the students could fulfill a civics requirement.
Would the board consider ending the longtime policy of letting students leave campus for lunch? Goff asked.
“I think closed lunch is coming as soon as we get these buildings renovated,” said board member Kevin Murray.
About 50 students in the Parker library seemed stunned.
It’s assumed that at least the ninth-graders will be kept on campus for lunch, to help them weather the difficult transition from middle to high school, said board member Debra Kolste.
“If I had my way, every kid would stay on campus for lunch,” said board member Amy Rashkin.
As a possibly overprotective parent, “I want you safe. I want to know where you are,” Rashkin said.
The students sat in stony silence.
Board member Todd Bailey tried to cheer them up: Would they like McDonald’s and Taco Bell in the cafeteria?
One student in a back row called out: “Food court!”
Afterward, Goff said the students’ silence was a sign of their deep opposition to limiting lunchtime freedom.
Goff was thoughtful, though. She didn’t like the idea of fattening fast food on the menu.
“We don’t see that we need nutrition, but we do,” she said. “We should bring in Subway.”
The good news for the juniors and seniors in the room was that they will graduate in time to escape the new rules.
Dec 12, 2007 at 10:11 p.m.
Suggest removal
i just graduated from one of our high schools and it doesnt matter if they would try and keep us on campus for lunch no one would actually do it. they never punished us for skipping school, infact some kids i knew had some where around 200 hours of unexcused absences
Dec 11, 2007 at 8:06 p.m.
Suggest removal
That is great idea, make sure you build it big enough for all 1700 students and teachers, because they all do it, also make sure you don't put any garbage cans anywhere near as well, because they all throw it on the ground anyway!!
Dec 11, 2007 at 5:40 p.m.
Suggest removal
maybe they should start a smoking patio like what parker had, then they could all hang out, smoke sigs and drink mountain dew at lunch time.
Dec 11, 2007 at 4:21 p.m.
Suggest removal
Closed campus is what they earned. After picking up garbage for 9 months out of the year in front of my house and having our side streets near Craig treated like a drag strip... now we (the folks around Craig) get our revenge.
I went to Parker, and I remember it wasn't any better.
Enjoy the hot lunch and closed campuses.
Dec 11, 2007 at 2:53 p.m.
Suggest removal
Kids should stay in school all day....period. They do not need to be running around, smoking dope.
Dec 11, 2007 at 2:23 p.m.
Suggest removal
I went to Milton schools and we had a closed campus. I think it prevented many students from rushing to get back to scool and possibly causing an accident or at the least speeding tickets. I also know that it did help students from skipping the afternoon classes since they were not allowed to leave the building. Yes the food taste and choices should be improved, but keep the kids at school. It didn't hurt me to have to stay on campus and it won't hurt todays kids either.
Dec 11, 2007 at 9:14 a.m.
Suggest removal
I sure hope they don't force kids to stay on campus for lunch.
The food is HORRIBLE. Its your typical lunch room meal. I stayed at Craig yesterday because of the weather, for the first time all year, and can guarantee I will not again. In order for me to even consider staying again, they would need to re-vamp the entire program. It was nothing compared to the lunches at Marshall I had become so used to.
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