Implementation of the Healthy School Meals for All Program, providing free breakfast and lunch to all students, is a big change for students at Pine Creek. While aimed at assisting students in financial need, feedback from students suggests that the program may not fully meet their expectations.
Overall, the project was designed to help students in Colorado in financial difficulties who couldn’t qualify for subsidized meals because of the federal poverty guidelines. However, the demand was much higher than lawmakers anticipated. Implementing the program statewide exceeded the estimated cost by $51 million in its first year. According to ChalkBeat Colorado, without any changes to the meal program, state analysts predict Colorado will come up short by $27.8 million next year.
Pine Creek is in its first year of the program since having school lunches catered from restaurants like Chick-fil-A and Panda Express. The proposition was first approved in 2022, and Pine Creek was given extra time to make the switch due to not having a functional kitchen to cook the food in. The kitchen was retrofitted over the summer of 2024.
For students, the transition to free lunches has not been without its issues. “I really miss last year,” said Jackson Parr (10). “This year there aren’t as many options, and the food is kind of stale,” Parr noted that many students are choosing to leave school during lunch to avoid the smaller offerings, often finding themselves stuck in traffic. Adding to the difficulty of off campus lunch, students now have to show IDs to get into school upon returning to the building, which could further delay students getting to class.
New students seem to take the availability of free lunches for granted.
“Since lunch is free, some students are tossing their trash on the ground and not cleaning up after themselves,” said Nathan Meyer (9).
Despite the program’s accessibility, some students feel that one portion is insufficient.
Smith Barrionuevo (12) said, “It’s common for my friends who brought their own lunch to still grab the free lunch just so those who didn’t, can have enough food.”
While the program is only in its first year, the feedback from students spotlights the challenges with the program. With mixed feelings about portion sizes and variety, there is room for improvement. Echoing the sentiments of most students, Parr said, “Who doesn’t like fast food, right?”
