Student Well-Being & Movement

‘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
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Managing AI in Schools: Practical Strategies for Districts
How should districts govern AI in schools? Learn practical strategies for policies, safety, transparency, and responsible adoption.
Content provided by Lightspeed Systems
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
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Two Jobs, One Classroom: Strengthening Decoding While Teaching Grade-Level Text
Discover practical, research-informed practices that drive real reading growth without sacrificing grade-level learning.
Content provided by EPS Learning
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

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 & Movement Millions of Students Attend Schools Near Toxic Sites, a New Study Shows
The study explores schools' proximity to hazardous sites and students' exposure to pollutants.
4 min read
The Fifth Ward Elementary School and residential neighborhoods sit near the Denka Performance Elastomer Plant, back, in Reserve, La., Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. Less than a half mile away from the elementary school, the plant makes synthetic rubber, emitting chloroprene, listed as a carcinogen in California, and a likely one by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Fifth Ward Elementary School and nearby residential neighborhoods in Reserve, La., pictured here on Sept. 23, 2022, sit near a synthetic rubber plant that has emitted chloroprene, which California lists as a carcinogen. New research finds thousands of schools are located within a quarter mile of such environmental hazard sites.
Gerald Herbert/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement 3 Driving Questions to Create a Sense of Belonging in Schools
Students who feel they belong in their school are more likely to show up and learn.
5 min read
MVCS 1981
A sign discouraging bullying is seen as two students walk into a classroom at a school in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Feb. 12, 2026. Experts say creating a sense of belonging in school can help curb problems like bullying.
Kevin Mohatt for Education Week
Student Well-Being & Movement Opinion Why a Good School Needs Both Coaches and Referees
If teachers are forced into being referees, they can't fill that role properly or coach well, either.
6 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Student Well-Being & Movement Q&A Cellphones: The 'Most Formidable Adversary' Schools Have Ever Faced
The Spokane schools in Washington paired cellphone restrictions with expanded extracurricular activities.
5 min read
Students at Glover Middle School in Spokane, Wash. make bookmarks and snowflakes during Falcon Time on Dec. 3, 2025.
Students at Glover Middle School in Spokane, Wash. make bookmarks and snowflakes during Falcon Time on Dec. 3, 2025. The district has sought to encourage students to spend less time on devices.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week