Starting in fall 2023, schools now offer lunch free of cost due to The Universal School Lunches Legislation being passed by the State legislature. The bill was written by State Senator Heather Gustafson and State Representative Sydney Jordan; they are two elected officials behind the school meal legislation. Jordan wanted to make sure that no kid at school went hungry. With a new law being introduced, fittingly named the Free School Meals law, every student receives one free complete breakfast meal and one free complete lunch meal. You only need to pay when you get seconds, which is five dollars.

Emile Dahmer (‘26) is from France and his opinion on school lunch is “It doesn’t taste as good…. Worse than the food in France.” France must have something that we don’t have but he also said he is “glad it’s free.” School lunch will never be perfect, but now it’s free. 

Before Southwest had free lunches, the lunchroom held kids who wouldn’t eat lunch because they didn’t have money for food or they just didn’t want lunch. The Navigator poll showed that 15 people liked school lunch and 3 people did not like school lunch.

“[The food] last year sucked,” William Ihle (‘26) said. “Now it’s a full meal.” Last year Ihle went to Lionsgate Academy. 

This poll has shown that many kids have enjoyed their lunch this year, compared to other years. Throughout the poll The Navigator noticed that the main driving point behind students liking school lunch was to make it possible for everyone to eat the lunch even if they can’t afford it. The people who disliked it said it was worse and had less food on each plate. The Navigator concluded that having free lunch has made the food better and also allowed more people to have it.

“[The food is] so much better than Anthony; it tastes like actual food,” Shepard Botz (‘27) said. Not only did he mention the food he also mentioned the lunch staff: “The lunch staff is much happier than Anthony’s lunch staff.” Last year Botz went to Anthony Middle School and is much happier this year than last year with school lunches.

Southwest students seem to be happy about the change that has been made in their community. Now students are able to eat regardless of whether they have money in their account or not. But this is only the beginning; who knows if this law will stay in effect or how it will affect the district financially.