Student Well-Being

‘Lunch Police’ in Pennsylvania School to Search and Confiscate Student Food

By Mariah Rush, The Charlotte Observer — April 05, 2022 1 min read
Chips fall down chutes toward a bagging machine at the Golden Flake Snack Foods plant in Birmingham, Ala., on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

One Pennsylvania school is taking a stand against snacking after an “excessive” amount of goodies was brought in, according to school officials.

“Shopping bags full of chips,” candy and an assortment of drinks have been brought into the school, and the Aliquippa School District will not stand for it any longer.

Aliquippa Junior/Senior High School will now be limiting what each student can bring to school, the district statement said.

“Beginning on Monday, April 4, 2022, each student will only be permitted one bag (up to 4 oz. in size) of such items as potato chips, Cheetos, Doritos, etc., and one bottled or canned beverage (up to 20 oz.),” the school system announced.

If the snack is opened before entering the school building or the student has more than what is permitted, officials will throw the snack away.

Additionally, if a student packs a lunch, the same restriction applies, and lunches will be searched.

This announcement set off an uproar of comments and shares on Facebook.

“You’re going to tell parents what they can and cannot send for their child to eat? That’s absurd! Maybe if school lunches weren’t so tiny and gross they wouldn’t need to bring extra snacks,” one person commented on the Facebook announcement.

“Lunch Police,” another commenter added. “Maybe they should stay out of the parenting business and focus on giving our kids a quality education.”

See also

A photo of money seen through a rip in denim
Maria Utekhina/iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession Opinion Why This Teacher Will No Longer Pay for the ‘Privilege’ to Wear Jeans
Kelly Scott, March 22, 2022
3 min read

Some agreed with the policy.

“I don’t remember being allowed to have food outside of the cafeteria when I was in school, so I find it weird that the school district even has to request this” one person said.

The school district had a message to all their commenters.

“Thank you all for your feedback. If you have children in the district please contact your building principal,” the district wrote. “If you are an internet heckler, continue as you were.”

Aliquippa is about 22 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.

Copyright (c) 2022, The Charlotte Observer. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency.

Events

School & District Management Webinar Crafting Outcomes-Based Contracts That Work for Everyone
Discover the power of outcomes-based contracts and how they can drive student achievement.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
Harnessing AI to Address Chronic Absenteeism in Schools
Learn how AI can help your district improve student attendance and boost academic outcomes.
Content provided by Panorama Education
School & District Management Webinar EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?
What issues are keeping K-12 leaders up at night? Join us for EdMarketer Quick Hit: What’s Trending among K-12 Leaders?

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Student Well-Being Download Traumatic Brain Injuries Are More Common Than You Think. Here's What to Know
Here's how educators can make sure injured students don't fall behind as they recover.
1 min read
Illustration of a female student sitting at her desk and holding hands against her temples while swirls of pencils, papers, question marks, stars, and exclamation marks swirl around her head.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being How Teachers Can Help LGBTQ+ Students With Post-Election Anxiety
LGBTQ+ crisis prevention hotlines have seen a spike in calls from youth and their families.
6 min read
Photo of distraught teen girl.
Preeti M / Getty
Student Well-Being Schools Are Eerily Quiet About the Election Results, Educators Say
Teachers say students' reactions to Trump's win are much more muted than in 2016.
6 min read
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump greets Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump greets Republican vice presidential nominee Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Evan Vucci/AP
Student Well-Being Student Journalists Want to Cover Politics. Not Everyone Agrees They Should
Student journalists are grappling with controversial topics—a lesson in democracy that's becoming increasingly at risk for pushback.
7 min read
Illustration of a paper airplane made from a newspaper.
DigitalVision Vectors