HHS to go to off-campus lunch

Hallettsville High School will see a change in its student lunch schedule this coming school term by allowing its students to utilize off-campus lunch.

The approval to this change took place at the April 10 Hallettsville ISD Board of Trustees meeting, but at the request of the administration, the Tribune-Herald withheld reporting on it until the start of summer.

At the meeting, HHS principal Mason Briscoe presented the plan that would allow the students in grades 10 through 12 to have the option for an off-campus lunch for 55 minutes to an hour.

Briscoe said the privilege would not apply to freshman students, who would be required to stay on campus during lunch and could utilize the cafeteria.

Also, 10-12 grade students, who would not leave the campus at lunch would have the option to eat in the cafeteria.

Briscoe listed the benefits for having off-campus lunch that included:

• Boost teacher morale with a longer lunch each day.

• The students would have a “brain break” from their studies during the middle of the day.

• Off-campus lunch would allow more freedom for a lunch menu.

• The cafeteria would realize savings and cleaning.

• The schedule would allow one lunch with everyone on the same schedule.

• It would allow extra meeting time for student-teacher intervention, club meetings and extra-curricular programs.

Briscoe did point out concerns the administration could experience including:

• Discipline for returning late or not coming back to campus after the lunch break.

• Discipline if the student would return in an altered state.

• Possibility of student(s) more prone to an accident.

Briscoe also listed incentives that could be used for students that included:

• Test scores – Students would have to pass the STAAR test. If not, off-campus privileges would be revoked due to intervention.

• Assigned lunch detention – Students would lose the privilege for that day.

• Students would know the off-campus lunch is a privilege that can be taken away at any point including excessive absences, referrals and low grades.

"I’m really looking forward to having an open campus lunch and hoping that this change is one that benefits not only HHS but the community as a whole,” Briscoe said.

In years past, off-campus lunches were allowed, but the policy was changed and closed campus took place for a number of years.