While we know that the national school lunch program is an essential part of students functioning, wellbeing, and achievement, the reality is that many schools serve lunch before 11 and even as early as 9 am (shout out to the 2 local Junior Highs in my childhood neighborhood in Queens, NY). Why this is nuts is a no brainer but as one student puts it:
“It is way too early. People that have lunch periods at that time get hungry later on in the day which decreases our focus in classes,” says James Madison junior Matthew Merr, who has lunch from 10:42 a.m. to 11:28 a.m this year. “There is always at least one person at the end of the day that is hungry and wants to go home.”
Also noteworthy: "The early lunch times seem to affect students who attend schools in low-income communities more than those at high-performing schools in wealthier neighborhoods."
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