BY MADI ZHOU ’28
At Jericho High School, the grind never stops, and neither do the students.
Many students here at Jericho High School opt out of a lunch or free period. This seemingly-unusual schedule choice occurs because many students–especially sophomores and juniors–would rather take an extra class than take a brain break.
At Jericho High School, students often choose to opt out of a lunch period because they want to “AP-maxx,” or load up on as many AP classes as possible, presumably perfecting their transcripts for college.
Students like Rayan H. ’28, on the other hand, opt out of a free period for their own personal growth. Rayan said, “I want to take more APs because of the number of electives I take. For example, I take Sci Research. I really don’t have any more space [in my schedule]…” Rayan and many of his peers opt out of an off-period because they are so interested in taking specific courses, including electives, that they wouldn’t be able to fit in their schedule otherwise. Rather than perceiving this scheduling choice as a sacrifice or opt out, they view their choice as opting into learning.
While these students might not have the space for a lunch period, they need to fuel their learning, and the act of actually finding time to get lunch during the school day can be a challenge for students without lunch periods or free periods. Often, students run to the cafeteria to grab lunch between periods with every intention of making it to their next class by the second bell. The school lunch line, however, can often have other plans.
Waiting in line for school lunch can take anywhere from five to ten minutes. This wait eats into class time, making students miss valuable class time. For this very reason, many teachers do not allow students to leave class and grab lunch.
One day, as I was waiting in line for a bagel between classes–I’m one of the many who’ve opted out of a free period–I pondered the different ways I could get to class quicker while also getting my lunch. Then, an idea came to me: what if we had an express lunch line for students who need to return to class because they don’t have a lunch period or a free? I thought I cracked the problem right open, finding a resolution to the long lunch lines that make some of us miss class time.
However, in my investigations, I began to realize that perhaps the lunch line isn’t the issue. Maybe students aren’t taking so long to get to class with their lunch because of the lunch line, but are instead late because of their own socializing.
Lunch aide Ms. Sarah Fusco said that in her five years of working in the cafeteria, she has been impressed by the speed of the lunch line. “I think that we do good now with our line,” Ms. Fusco said. “I think the kids get out [of the cafeteria] pretty fast.”
Ms. Fusco said that the line is quick, but students often still seem to linger, making them late for class. “I feel like [the students] are hanging out, visiting with their friends. I feel like they’re kinda just in and out, so I feel like they go through [the line] pretty quickly once they’re inside.” Maybe the added structure of an express lunch line would have minimal impact, as it seems that the greater distraction keeping students from class is their friends.
Jasmine L. ’28 has chosen to take a lunch period this year, valuing the lunch period as an opportunity to take a break from her rigorous schedule. Jasmine believes that ensuring every student eats lunch–regardless of their schedule–is critical to their success. “Giving students a quick lunch to fuel their brain likely improves their performance in school,” said Jasmine. It is important to note that Jericho High School provides access to free lunch for all students under the New York State Universal Free School Meals Act of 2025. It is just a matter of the students without free periods or lunch finding time to take advantage of this opportunity.
Guidance Counselor Ms. Alana Mercante recommends lunch periods or a scheduled free period for most of her students. Because of this, Ms. Mercante believes that if students are going to insist on not taking a lunch or a free period, then an express lunch line would be a happy compromise. “I think [an express lunch line] would be equitable because some kids genuinely cannot fit a lunch period into their day, and it’s not by choice. … so I think it would be a good way to ensure that those kids get priority to just grab food and leave and not have to miss class time,” said Ms. Mercante.
With an express lunch line, students would benefit in being able to grab their lunch quickly if they aren’t already bringing their lunch. But one major question arises: how would the lunch line be limited only to students without a lunch period or free period? Many students have suggested that the best solution to this problem would be giving students without a lunch period or free period an express line access card confirming that they do not have a lunch period and do need to get back to class as soon as possible. But again, even if this express line were to work, who’s to say that students would make it to class on time? Preventing students from getting distracted by friends in the lunchroom would be harder to implement than any lunch line structure.
Guidance Counselor Mr. Di Wu recalled another compromise that the high school has made in the past to accommodate students without lunch periods. “I remember there was a time when the lunch staff offered ‘to-go bag[s]’ for students to take,” said Mr. Wu. “[This way], students could get to their classrooms without an extended delay.”
Unfortunately, the “to-go bags” posed logistical challenges, and were ultimately not a comparable replacement to the hot lunch offerings. While Mr. Wu reiterated that the “to-go bag” idea was formed out of care, students still wanted the option to access hot lunch menu items. Mr. Wu said, “At one time I think there was also a thought of delivering [lunches] to the classrooms.” While the “to-go bags” have not been an option in a few years, Assistant Principal Dr. Micheala Finlay said, “that doesn’t mean we can’t make it happen now.”
In my investigations, it has become clear that Jericho High School has been more than willing to adapt and try new options in order to accommodate their students who forgo lunch periods. As I’ve learned, asking questions gets you answers about how hard everyone is working behind the scenes to ensure that students here at Jericho High School are nourishing not only their minds, but also their bodies for the best possible success.
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