Upset in Seattle High Schools Over Lunchtime

 I first heard about this news at the West Seattle Blog:

Starting next Monday, less than two weeks into the new school year, high-school lunchtime will be split into two. 

The district apparently isn't explaining this change, just announcing it. Messaging from principals on 9/9:

To ensure our schools remain aligned with state requirements and district policies, SPS is moving all comprehensive high schools from one lunch period to two lunch periods. This new schedule will begin on Monday, 915. This change supports important goals across all our comprehensive high schools including:

- ensuring all students have adequate time to eat lunch while meeting the state's required instructional minutes

- protecting staff lunch breaks and supporting our food service teams' contractual rights

- providing equitable access to meals for students attending off-site programs like the Skills Center

As a district, we understand that your student may experience a slight change in their daily schedule, and we are working to make this transition as smooth as possible. Our goal is to support a healthy, safe, and equitable school environment for all students.

Thank you for your continued support as we make this important adjustment. We will publish the new bell schedule by the end of the week.

There is NO announcement at the SPS website. 

To note, the Board is having its first meeting of the school year on Wednesday, September 17th, starting at 4:15 pm. It's also the first Board meeting for the student directors and I hope they speak up on this issue. I'm thinking the speaker list is going to be very long for this meeting. 

To be clear - are the students' going to be greatly harmed by this? Probably not. BUT this district is NOT being fair or transparent. That issue should be communicated to the SPS Board of Directors. Here's what I said in another post in the name of student mental health:

That the district cannot manage this - either because of union demands or budget problems - is really sad. Because it sounds like these students WANT and NEED this human connection that they get at lunch when eating together OR using the time for club meetings. THAT'S what the district is supposed to be fostering.

One, where was this worry about students having enough time to eat in prior years?

Two, see the SPS second reason? THAT'S the real reason and it seems to fly in the face of SOFG. 

Three, you don't change an entire schedule for just one program (Skills Center students). 

Four, apparently this change may mean some students at some high schools will have to wait until after 1pm for lunch.

Five, I see this in the WSB comments:

However, this change means Sealth has to lose the one long lunch period they have had on Wednesdays, which they have done to allow for longer club meetings. I’m sympathetic to that argument and am interested to hear SPS address how students should organize and participate in those kinds of activities.

I wonder how many schools were doing the same as Sealth to facilitate club meetings. 

There is very little teacher support for clubs after or before school, and many members of clubs participate in schools, blocking off their time. We only have two club meeting blocks a month, which means students in multiple clubs have to choose one club to join and drop all others.

Six, why didn't the district do this BEFORE school started? I wonder if they knew this would raise a ruckus which they will go tsk, tsk and move on. I am disappointed in Superintendent Podesta. 

From The Seattle Times:

Three out of 11 comprehensive SPS high schools were already operating on a two-lunch schedule when the 2025-26 school year began last week. Franklin, Rainier Beach and Chief Sealth High Schools have had two lunch periods for several years, while Cleveland High School made the change before school started this year. 

Within hours of the announcement email, students began organizing to oppose the change. A student created an online petition Tuesday, which collected more than 3,000 signatures by noon Wednesday. Students are planning a multi-school walkout on Monday at 11 a.m., according to a new Instagram account called “OneLunchSPS.”

Thoughts from SEA:

The announcement and rollout of the change is “very unusual,” said Girard Montejo-Thompson, president of the Seattle Education Association teachers’ union. Typically a school’s principal and the building leadership team would decide on a schedule and the rest of the staff would vote on it, he said. “We are confused about the sense of urgency the district has around it.”

He noted that implementing the change will put a substantial large burden on registrars and school counselors, who are in charge of reworking schedules. Montejo-Thompson added that he would have preferred the change occur between semesters, when it would be less disruptive for students, teachers and staff.

 

Here's the issue for many students as written by a West Seattle High School senior, Lemuel Turpaud (bold mine):

I am a member of West Seattle High School, their ASB, and many clubs, and I have an important message to share to the community. Seattle Public Schools will be requiring all high schools in the district to change from one unified lunch to two separate lunches on Monday. 

This proposal will kill clubs at the high school. Last March the West Seattle Rocketry Club reached out to the West Seattle Blog, and from our amazing community received over $1,200 to fund our rocketry competition. This support from the community allowed for the team to continue their project, and have financial safety going into the next year. Now with the change of school lunch policy, the Rocketry Club and other student run clubs will be facing a much larger problem than funding. 

Splitting the lunch period divides students’ only shared free time to meet and join clubs. This decision will kill many clubs, specifically the smaller clubs that are created as passion projects by dedicated members of the school; Rocketry Club being one of those.

Students districtwide from almost ten schools are planning on walking out on Monday, September 15th ,if the policy is not reversed.

We ask the West Seattle community to stand with us. Please contact the school board and urge them to preserve a unified lunch period so student clubs, opportunities, and community can continue to thrive. Thank you. 

-There is a planned walkout on Monday at JSCEE. Students need a signed Civic Engagement Activity Form to participate without incurring a marked absence.

- Letter to SPS directors from parents.