Many schools county wide offer off campus lunches, but not Palestine High School.  We should! There are many pros and cons to off campus lunch options, but the pros outweigh the cons tremendously. Many schools stopped their off-campus policies during Covid-19 and now have revisted them, allowing students to return to off campus lunch.

Having an off-campus lunch option for students can be beneficial. This can be a type of reward for high-performing students. It is a way to teach students time-management skills. If students choose to go home for lunch, they are able to care for pets or run errands for the family allowing after school to be free for more. Students in need of a break from the school environment can use this as a way to take a breath before returning to class. The opportunity of off campus lunches can teach students life lessons. Off campus lunches can also show adults that the students participating are trustworthy. Another amazing factor of off campus lunches is that the students can make connections in the community.

The administration is — understandably — nervous about releasing the entire student body into town during lunch.  One solution would be giving juniors and seniors an option of eating off-campus or at the school. Another option would be to have a food truck or a business such as the Pioneer Meat Market or Home Plate, come to the school, as a safer, closer to school option.