Students have mixed opinions over school lunches, offering up their favorite meals, what they don’t care to see on the menu – and even strange stories.
Free school lunches have been notorious for having strange things in them, and some students have funny stories about their lunch.
“I think I got pizza one time and there was like a hair under the cheese,” said freshman Alessandra Townsend.
She even had a fingernail clipping in her food.
“They’re not that bad. I just don’t enjoy them,” she joked.
The Auburn School District serves more than 16,000 meals per day, “providing excellent nutrition for our students,” stated Vicki Alonzo, executive director of the Auburn School District’s communications department. “Our culinary arts students and child nutrition services staff follow the highest food safety standards. Everyone who handles food has a valid food worker’s permit. If students have specific concerns about their food, they should immediately report it to staff in the kitchen.”
On the other hand, some students do like school lunch.
“I like the cookies they serve sometimes,” said freshman Brooklynn Compton, noting she enjoys the school lunches.
The same goes for freshman Vincent Trinh. He likes free lunch because “it tastes good.” But, like others, he has a story to share.
“The weirdest [thing I’ve found in my lunch] would probably be water in my grilled cheese.”
Freshman Jacklyn Sia usually goes for pizza and teriyaki chicken when it’s served.
“I like how they have different options,” she said.
The Auburn School District offers food for breakfast and lunch that gives students variety, convenience and familiarity.
“We monitor the participation of lunches we serve,” according to the district website. “We know if we offer ’tuna noodle casserole,’ no matter how delicious it is, participation at lunch goes down. We know when we offer ‘chicken nuggets,’ participation goes up.”
The district was approved to participate in the Federal Community Eligibility Provision in 2022. This program, which will continue through 2026, provides free breakfast and lunch for all district students, regardless of family household income, according to the district.
