Survey results from the 2013 California Students’ Voices on School Meal Time revealed that about 53% of students eat school meals, although many students reported that they skip their school lunch on occasion. That would leave about half of the students to either bring lunch, eat after school or leave campus for lunch. Huntington Beach High School (HBHS) does not allow students to leave campus for lunch or deliver food to the school. As a transfer student from Fountain Valley High (FVHS), those were odd rules to me because we were allowed to leave campus and order food.
HBHS is the only high school in the Huntington Beach Unified School District that does not allow juniors or seniors to leave at lunch.
HBHS principal Brenna Orr said, “In the time that I have been here, it has strictly been a safety situation and a management situation.”
Orr talked about how our layout is set up differently than other schools in the district due to the number of entry and exit points. We already have supervision watching all the main exits at lunch. With some student body cooperation and staff leniency, an open campus at lunch for seniors could be organized.
A few students have provided input, and some seniors believe that Huntington’s rules are unfair and that having that freedom should’ve been earned for their last year. High school has its difficult times, but benefits like that make it all the more tolerable.
HBHS Senior Jayme Finnerty said, “I think it’s unfair considering the other schools like Fountain Valley let juniors and seniors leave and get food at lunch. Everyone also leaves anyway, so they might as well let it happen.”
Some kids also have to avoid eating school lunches due to dietary restrictions. HBHS does not offer many gluten or dairy-free options, which can be a struggle for students. If HBHS could figure out a safe way for all students to be able to deliver food to the school, that would help a lot of people who find it stressful to find something they know for sure they can eat. Packing lunch and waiting until after school to eat lunch are both options, but sometimes students don’t have the time and need something in their stomachs during school hours.
When asked about her experiences, Katia Arellano, a senior at FVHS, stated, “Driving to Chipotle at lunch is so easy for me. It’s really weird to hear that HB kids aren’t allowed to leave considering how many food places are at Seacliff.”
She said leaving school for lunch gave her a mental break from school and gave her time to herself when needed. Having a break in between classes could be very beneficial for stress management, potentially helping students gather their thoughts before returning to school for any remaining classes.
Despite student support, there could be a concern of truancy regarding an open campus. FVHS juniors and seniors can leave campus and not return if their schedules end before lunch, and some HBHS students may see it as an opportunity to skip their after-lunch lessons entirely. Skipping classes will negatively impact one’s academics, and most students would have second thoughts about missing any of their classes in the first place.
Maturity should also be taken into account because upperclassmen are of an age where responsibility and respect should not be a problem. With the trust of the HBHS staff and the honesty of the students, leaving at lunch could be a potential privilege.
The seniors of HBHS should be able to leave campus because they are developed and mature enough to respect grounds off campus and take responsibility for their choices. As for lowerclassmen, rules should possibly be rethought about the ability to deliver food to school for the sake of many students’ dietary restrictions. As a senior, I would treat an open campus as a privilege and follow the rules to not get that privilege revoked.