When I was a kid, checking what was being served for lunch at school on any given day was a gamble. Sometimes, it sounded delicious—crispy bagels topped with cheese and pepperoni. Other times, it was a culinary disaster—inedible mashed somethings and over-boiled green vegetables that fell apart as soon as it was scooped onto my plate.
And maybe—if I was lucky—I would snag a chip or two from my friend (her parents always packed the good snacks) or if I had a dollar lying around I would purchase a granola bar from the vending machine. One thing is for sure: I put up with it.
Today’s kids treat school lunch like a Friday night in, scouring apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash to order restaurant quality meals directly to their classrooms. The phenomenon is so prevalent that some schools have enforced policies, while others have tried to make accommodations, and in the center of it all? A large group of very tired teachers.
Ordering in…While at School
Kids have been using food delivery apps like Uber Eats and DoorDash to order their school lunch for a few years now, much to the dismay of many teachers and school faculty.
Bored of the often repetitive options that schools offer students, many of them feel as though ordering food provides them with higher quality meals that actually excite them. Teachers, on the other hand, feel like students should continue to eat school lunch for several reasons.
School administrators and teachers alike are concerned that ordering food to school poses a safety risk to students by allowing unknown adults to enter. This concern is especially heightened when students attempt to get their deliveries by instructing drivers to hand over the food at a side entrance, rather than going through the main lobby, where students might face repercussions for ordering food.
Beyond safety issues, many teachers are concerned about the nutritional value of the food kids are ordering, since school lunches are typically a more balanced meal than most of the options available on a food delivery app. Moreover, allowing students to order Uber Eats furthers the divide between students who have financial access to these tools and those who do not.
But one of the biggest concerns across schools: ordering in is a major distraction. It takes time away from student’s learning, causing them to “disappear” for 20 to 30 minutes at a time, which poses challenges for teachers.
One teacher took to TikTok to complain about the rising trend of food deliveries at his high school.
Derek Anderson, who goes by the TikTok username @thatblindmathteacher, states in his video that his students will pretend to go to the bathroom or to get a drink of water just to return back with bags of food. “Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, you name it. Nope, does not need to happen.” he says while shaking his head.
“We didn’t work this hard to get kids free lunch, for them to order food during the middle of class,” Anderson continues.
Indeed, many schools participate in programs like the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) which provide free or reduced-price meals to students who meet certain income guidelines. However, that’s not stopping students from reaching for their phone the moment their stomachs start to rumble.
Schools Have Tried Banning Food Deliveries
Some schools have even attempted to ban food from being delivered to students, enforcing policies around phone usage that they hope will prevent students from being able to access food delivery apps. Other districts have tried banning food deliveries altogether, turning drivers away as they enter the lobby and reporting the student who ordered it. While some high schools have even confiscated food from students. However, as one can imagine, students have found loopholes.
Some schools have embraced the trend, perhaps trying to find a way to work with the students, rather than against them. “At my school we have an outer foyer and the delivery people are buzzed into that area and they have to leave our food on the table,” writes one TikToker. “They can’t come in.”
Balancing the need for safety, along with the desire for a focused learning environment, along with the needs of hungry teens and tweens—many schools have struggled to find a one-size-fits-all solution. And beyond the school’s ability to enforce rules around ordering in, where are the parents?
Are Parents OK With This?
Ordering food to school is a polarizing topic for most parents. Some agree with teachers that it’s a major distraction and children should not be on their phone during class, endorsing school policies banning food deliveries.
Others believe that their children are entitled to a decent lunch and complain when schools confiscate their child’s food after ordering in. One tweet we found even claimed parents themselves were the ones ordering food to schools for their children. Some, however, are on the fence, believing that schools are exaggerating the impact of food deliveries and that this is simply a generational thing.
Under a thread discussing the topic, one parent wrote, “It sounds ridiculous to us, but their generation have grown up with technology and being able to order anything for delivery. We used to go out [for] lunchtime. Most school kids aren’t allowed out [for] lunchtime, so this is just the modern day equivalent.”
It may be true that times are changing and schools just need to find ways to adapt, but letting children order food to class might not be a step in the right direction. Not only does allowing Uber Eats further the divide between students who can afford to order takeout for lunch and those who have to eat cafeteria food, but it also sets a dangerous precedent. If schools start allowing kids to order in, then it sends the message that convenience should outweigh safety, structure, and parental oversight.
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