My stepson is 15 and attends Hackensack High School. He hates the food there, and often doesn't have lunch, even though he has a lot of money in his account. On Friday, I saw some kids at Starbucks on Essex Street in Hackensack, asked where they went school, and was told Hackensack High. I said it seemed like a long walk for something to eat, and one of the kids said he never eats lunch there. My stepson says a lot of kids walk to the Dunkin' Donuts on Passaic Street for lunch. A pizzeria near the high school does a land-office business.
I encountered a candidate for the school board on Saturday night, mentioned kids' view of the food at the high school, and he said two things: there are lots of high schools with bad food, and Hackensack High had more serious problems. He's not getting my vote. I met another candidate for the school board today, and she reacted positively to my concern.
Why would anyone minimize the importance of food in schools? What else has a direct relationship to your health and feeling of well-being?
Hackensack doesn't spend millions of dollars every year on school busing. Where is that money going? Certainly not for good food the kids want to eat.