This year, students are now required to pay for lunch and breakfast. For the past two and a half years (ever since the coronavirus became rampant), the school has provided free lunch and breakfast to any students who want it. But as a part of this year’s return to normal initiative, students have to pay for school breakfast or lunch-and it is only fair that they do!

Many students are upset that the school is now charging for school food because they are used to not having to. But as most seniors will remember, students have had to pay for food in the past. COVID presented extenuating circumstances for everyone, so the school footed the bill with the COVID relief fund. But now as we are returning to normal, it only makes sense for the school to charge for lunch now. 

A number of students have their parents pay for lunch. When paying for school lunch, students enter their student ID number-the charges are attached to the student’s account, and for the majority of students, parents provide the money for that account. Or, if your parents refuse to pay for school lunches, students can brown bag their own lunch. There are other alternatives to the school cafeteria. 

Last year, many students can recall standing in lunch lines for what felt like most of the lunch time. This year, the lines are significantly shorter. Because more people are not eating school lunch simply because it is free, the wait in the lunch lines are significantly shorter. There are also upsides to paying for lunch. 

Some students were shocked to find out that they had to pay for lunch. But the school gave fair warning to the students and the parents that they would no longer be provided with free lunches and breakfasts. But the school still provides lunches and breakfasts to those in need. 

At the end of the day, paying for school lunches is not the end of the world. If you do not want to pay for lunch, then bring your own food or make your parents pay for it! In the school’s return to normal, it only makes sense for the cafeteria to return to normal as well.