In response to student complaints about long lunch lines and too few windows open, the lunch staff is planning to hire students to increase its efficiency.
They will be hiring four students, who will be paid $17.70 per hour for the 2025-26 school year. They will be paid for 30 minutes daily, but can stop working earlier if the lunch line dies down.
“We can get better from what we have right now, but the problem is we don’t have enough staff to open more lanes to get the lines to move more quickly,” Cristina Gomez, the lunch staff lead substitute, said. “I’m planning to hire students to work with us, so we can open more windows so it can go faster.”
Students are hired for the full school year and can request to return the following year as long as they are still M-A students.
However, some students, like junior Kannan Chotai, aren’t satisfied with the pay. “Lunch is unfortunately not even a full hour, so I don’t even get paid $17.70 during lunch,” he said.
Working the lunch line would also mean that students might not have time for themselves or with friends. “I would not be willing to work during lunch because I’m very busy. I’m very occupied and I have many places to be and things to do,” Chotai said. “I’m socializing with my friends on the green during lunchtime.”
Still, some students would rather earn a paycheck than eat lunch with their friends.
“I’d rather be there giving the food because it offers me an opportunity, and I have to take advantage of it, right?” Senior Maria Molina* said.
In order to work the lunch line, students need to get a work permit from room P-5 once hired and contact Cristina Gomez at [email protected].
The lunch line currently has one student employee.
*This quote was translated from Spanish.
