After several students were caught stealing food from the cafeteria, the administration reversed its new policy which allowed students to reenter the line for seconds after they had already paid. Several students have been taking advantage of the policy and entering the line without paying, claiming it was their second or third time. 

“[Director of Food Services Operations Mark Glauser] shared that students had been going back into the line and taking items that were for purchase without paying for them,” high school principal Dr. Lisa Vardi said. 

There is now always one administrator present to monitor the lunch process. The administrator on duty ensures that all students are paying for their meals and that no student attempts to enter or reenter the lunch line without paying. This strategy has been found to be effective in preventing theft.  

In order to make sure students are provided with enough food to fill them up, the new lunch policy allows students to take as much food as they desire their first time through the line. They can ask for multiple portions and have full access to the salad bar. However, once they leave, they are not allowed to reenter the line. 

Many students are unaware that they can ask for multiple portions of lunch. Without this knowledge, if they need more food and want to go back for seconds, they are charged an additional $8, the full price of a lunch.

“I don’t think the school has done a good job telling students that they can take as much as they want in their first time through the line,” junior Jayden Kasheri said. 

Other students worry that a “pile your plate” practice may lead to food waste and would rather be able to go back for seconds. 

Junior Josh Einhorn suggested using the existing scanners to make sure that students seeking second helpings are not double charged. “You put your pin in and they can see if you have already paid,” Einhorn said. 

The new lunch policy is meant to help the staff and to ensure that the lunch process is smooth and orderly. 

“It is not to minimize the amount of food that kids can take. They can take three portions. They can ask if they can have more. It’s just to minimize that traffic that goes back into there [the lunch line]. People don’t always recognize who had gone through the line,” Vardi said.