For most students at Alliance High School, lunch is a time to get away from the school atmosphere and enjoy a nice, hot meal provided by the school, at home, and vendors around Alliance. The lunch program, which started in January 2012 is nearing its second year in existence and consists of a school meal, and vendors from including: Sam and Louie’s Pizza, Taco John’s, Subway, Papa’s Pizza, and Grand Buffet.

To start the process, the students select a certain vendor’s food they would like to choose to eat. The first students in line get their food initially, and the lines could take five or more minutes to clear. Once the student gets the food from their selected vendor, they have the option of eating from the salad bar and/or proceeding to the drink cooler to grab a water, Propel, Life Water, and chocolate or regular milk. The student then advances to a check out table where he or she gives a staff member his or her lunch number, and then proceed to a table where the student can eat. The price for a regular school lunch is $3.50, and the vendor’s lunch price varies greater than the regular lunch price.

It is a mandatory act for freshmen at AHS to stay at the school for lunch, however, sophomores, juniors, and seniors have “open campus” for lunch and are allowed to leave for the thirty-eight minute break.

Most students who stay for lunch admittedly say they are either required to stay, or they are not old enough to drive to a location outside of the school to eat their lunch. Most students also go for pizza, which is a major hit during lunchtime.

AHS principal Dr. Patrick Jones is in accord with lunch program, saying it is, “a decent lunch break for students to be able to choose what they want to do.” The students who stay for lunch frequently see Jones roaming the lunch area talking and meeting with students in which Jones says is his favorite part of the day, “interacting with students.”

As for vendor selection, “the cost is the drive of the program,” said Jones. Several vendors cost more than the regular school lunch at $3.50, and Jones talked about the price the school can negotiate with vendors will determine if the vendors can serve food at the school.

Jones also mentioned that every vendor has to meet federal government guidelines, for example, the amount of sodium, sugar, or fat in the food. Jones also used an example saying the Grand Buffet makes a “thinner sauce with less sugar,” to meet the federal guidelines.

As for the future of the lunch program at AHS, students would love to see even “more variety.” Jones admitted that implementing a Starbucks Coffee station available only during the breakfast and lunch hours, or expanding the salad bar with more vegetables and meat would be convenient. However, these ideas are possibilities and a date is not set to when, or if, they could become a reality.