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

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
Student Achievement Webinar
Student Success Strategies: Flexibility, Recovery & More
Join us for Student Success Strategies to explore flexibility, credit recovery & more. Learn how districts keep students on track.
Content provided by Pearson
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
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Shaping the Future of AI in Education: A Panel for K-12 Leaders
Join K-12 leaders to explore AI’s impact on education today, future opportunities, and how to responsibly implement it in your school.
Content provided by Otus
Student Achievement K-12 Essentials Forum Learning Interventions That Work
Join this free virtual event to explore best practices in academic interventions and how to know whether they are making a difference.

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 Spotlight Spotlight on Student Engagement & Well-Being
This Spotlight will help you discover how educators are applying the science of reading and the importance of reading fluency, and more.

Student Well-Being Video These Simple Classroom Exercises Can Improve Student Behavior
Incorporating yoga and mindfulness practices in the classroom has helped these students recover from the trauma of Hurricane Helene.
1 min read
Victoria Jorden, a 3rd grade teacher at Gray Court-Ownings School, leads students through a yoga exercise during class in Gray Court, S.C., on Dec. 10, 2024.
Victoria Jorden, a 3rd grade teacher at Gray Court-Ownings School, leads students through a yoga exercise during class in Gray Court, S.C., on Dec. 10, 2024.
Evan Griffith for Education Week
Student Well-Being Measles Is on the Rise as Vaccinations Drop. Where Does That Leave Schools?
With an outbreak in West Texas, are the conditions ripe for more measles outbreaks elsewhere?
6 min read
Tight cropped photograph of a doctor wearing gloves and filling a syringe with medicine from vial.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being Are Today's Students Less Independent? Depends on Who You Ask
Most teachers say students' declining ability to direct their own learning and advocate for themselves hurts academic achievement.
3 min read
Illustration of young school kids with backpacks climbing up and peaking out of the sides of a large question mark in the ground.
iStock/Getty