Students will often go to great lengths to get their hands on the best food, even if it means running to be first to the lunch lines or microwaves. What happens when they try to get food from outside the school? Earlier this year, Loudoun County Public Schools issued a ban on food delivery as a result of school safety concerns. Mixed opinions still float around the school regarding the ban, but many are unaware of the reasons for why it was implemented in the first place.
Prior to banning food delivery services such as DoorDash and Uber Eats, students could be seen daily around Woodgrove with their orders. However, the school board considered implementing a ban when certain items considered “inappropriate” on school grounds were delivered to students at other schools. Following the ban, delivery drivers are now turned away upon arriving at the school’s front doors, and the student patrons are confronted. According to assistant principal Mr. Timothy Panagos, these are the necessary precautions to ensure that unsuitable items don’t make it into Woodgrove, though students still attempt to order food regularly. “There’ll always be someone who acts in their own best interest, even against school protocol. Kids act like they don’t know,” says Panagos.
Students, however, tend to take a more optimistic approach when discussing food delivery. According to junior Jameson Mahafey, the ability to have food delivered to them has a “generally positive” impact on the student body. It’s clear that students favor having the option of food delivery at school, but the ban itself hasn’t received much backlash in general. Upon learning about the risks that food delivery presents at Woodgrove, some are more accepting of the school’s new policy. “It’s nice to have the option to order my own food when I want to, but if it’s a safety concern I understand why they’re banning it,” says senior David Wall.
Despite some being discontent with the food delivery policy at Woodgrove, it appears that many students are understanding of the safety measures being implemented. While the option of food delivery is banned today, we may someday see students dashing to the doors for their orders once again.
