SCHOFIELD, Wis. (WSAU) -- Lunch lines might be a bit shorter at D.C. Everest High School Thursday because of a lunch boycott.
Senior student Meghan Hellrood organized the boycott, which got the attention of news media around the world because it criticizes the Healthy and Hunger Free Kids Act pushed forward by First Lady Michelle Obama.
D.C. Everest Principal Tom Johansen says the school overall supports the good things the new lunch guidelines bring, but understands where Hellrood and her supporters are coming from. “I think it’s representing a number of students at the school who have some concerns about the new lunch regulations and the stipulations on calories, on fat, on amounts of food that are served, and I think with some justification.”
Johansen says the Healthy and Hunger Free Kids Act does help address obesity in children by encouraging smarter food choices and portions, but he admits the guidelines don’t match every child well. “One size fits all doesn’t work real well for the student body. I have kids who are very athletic that have high caloric counts to maintain their energy. I have kids who are very small or non-athletic who don’t, and it makes it difficult for them to fulfill their needs, and they’re concerned about those regulations as a result.”
The federally funded lunch program has strict guidelines, but Johansen says it does help feed breakfast and lunch to most of their 12-hundred high school students at a reasonable cost. “It supports us in a way to help us provide better food service to kids. We, in our district alone, just the D.C. Everest district, receive over 1.2-million dollars back from this program, so we’re able to provide more reasonable lunches for kids in the big picture. Our lunch cost is $1.80 for a lunch.
The lunch program also supports the Free and Reduced Price Lunch Program for about one-fourth of the student population. Johansen says their biggest concern with the boycott is this group of students who really need these meals. “The only concern that we really have right now is because of the kids who are on the free or reduced lunch, we don’t want them to feel intimidated that they shouldn’t go have their lunch, in any way, shape, or form. It’s too important for them to have that meal during the day, and for them to get caught up in this and say, ‘OK, I’m just too uncomfortable stepping forward to go have my meal.’ That’s a concern for us.”
Hellrood and the school have discussed some options. She is making sandwiches for many of the students that want to participate but can’t bring their own lunch.
Johansen says that regardless of how many D.C. Everest students actually boycott the lunch today, Hellrood has already had an impact. “I think she’s probably had some positive outcomes from it already. The government agency who runs those programs, who sets up those restrictions and guidelines for schools to follow, has communicated with our Food Service Director, and come in and said, ‘What suggestions do you have?’ and so that’s been a positive outcome already for this particular event.”
The Principal says the school will continue to encourage students and parents to provide input on the lunch menus and other issues. He says the boycott has not had any disruptive effect on the school, and they will continue to encourage students to speak up about things that matter to them.
(You can hear our interview with D.C. Everest Principal Tom Johansen on our website, here. We also have previous interviews with organizer Meghan Hellrood available here and here.)