The logistics of getting an entire student body into lunch is a real challenge for any school. Though the practices differ by each state and program, the usual way is for students to eat together whenever possible. If the cafeteria isn’t big enough, students are often grouped off by age or by class time. Above all, though, the way kids are sorted into their lunch break is not motivated by anything political or bureaucratic.
But one school has turned lunchtime into a kind of academic motivation—and has been met with significant controversy.
The story takes place at Hudson High School in Pasco County, Florida.
In a marked change from the organization’s old policy, Hudson High School has changed its lunch policy so that students are segregated based on how well they’re doing in school. Those who are “on track” academically have a GPA higher than a 2.0, fewer than four absences, no F’s on their report card and all their credits for the semester.
While students do eat at the same time, those who are “on track” get special privileges compared to their fellow students.
Only students who are “on track” can leave the cafeteria during the lunch period—and others can’t.
Typically, students at Hudson High School could choose to eat their lunch in the cafeteria, the commons areas, in the school’s lounge or outside. Unfortunately, students who are “on track” don’t need to eat in those other areas. Many of them still eat in the cafeteria, which leads to problems. Ashlynn Brooks, a junior at the school, explains:
“A lot of people that are tracking still sit in the cafeteria rather than going into the lounge or commons, which then makes less room for the people who aren’t tracking to sit in there.”
There are other privileges available for students who are “on track” as well.
In addition to more choices when it comes to lunch, students who meet the requirements can also get added bonuses including free tickets to school sporting events. Though the school maintains that the program is a good way to incentivize students to perform well academically, some parents have complained that it is unnecessarily divisive. One parent, Mandy Lohan, explained:
“[The program is] not good for anybody . . . you want unity and you want family, that’s what [the school] preaches, but yet they’re separating the kids. It’s not right.”
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