At Karns High School, the option for outside lunch remains closed. Last school year it was only closed because of the cold weather but now it’s closed for different reasons. There were mixed opinions about outside lunch as some felt it was good for the students. It allowed them to enjoy fresh air and socialize with others, but some students would leave trash behind. Trash would often be left on tables ruining the area for other students.
“Students not being allowed to eat lunch outside is pretty reasonable for the most part,” Kinnley Rodriguez said, “I think Fridays we should be allowed to eat outside during lunch because it’s the last day of the school week and it’s a reward for doing good.”
The school’s staff have also talked about a reward system being used to balance the pros and cons of outside lunch. If students had to work for outside lunch they might feel the need to keep it cleaner
“I know there’s been some discussion about working with overall tardies and overall attendance as an incentive to get it open,” said Chris Ottinger, a principal at Karns High school.
Last year there was a teacher free during the third block that was able to monitor the students. This year that same staff member teaches a class meaning there’s no longer anyone to watch over the students.
“I think the biggest current holdup is we don’t have someone who we can allocate to cover it day in, day out,” Ottinger said.
Many staff believe that reopening outside lunch would be a good idea but with a few exceptions. The custodial staff emptied the outside trash cans less often then the inside cans causing trash to overflow and become a constant problem
“It sucks we don’t get outside lunch anymore,” said Lucas Siskey, “I really enjoyed the outdoor time and fresh air.”
Siskey and others enjoyed outside lunch because it gave them a break from the stress of classes, and when it was closed it took away that escape.
For now, outside lunch remains closed but the discussion around it is still ongoing. Students and staff both believe that it should be reopened. With certain compromises, it could come back, giving students back their fresh air while keeping the school clean and safe.
