Welcome to the New Mandatory O’Neal Lunch Service
Earlier this week the school community received a notice acknowledging a disgusting incident involving food quality in the dining area. The message stated:
“On Thursday, November 7th, a photo was brought to our attention of what appears to resemble an insect larvae in a pork rib that was served for lunch. This was immediately reported to our dining service – Flik Independent School Dining (FISD). This is an isolated case.”
The school’s response raises immediate concerns. Given the nature of bulk meat shipments and large-scale cafeteria preparation, it’s difficult to believe the issue was truly limited to just one meal. More likely, it was simply noticed by only one student. Adding to the unease are the restrictive new dining policies imposed by the administration.
Students at O’Neal have traditionally enjoyed the flexibility of bringing lunch from home or ordering from local restaurants—a hallmark of the private school experience that offered families choices suited to their needs. Each week a designated menu allowed parents to select meals from specific locations, like “Panera Bread” on Thursdays. These meals would arrive at school ready for the start of the lunch period.
However, this year brought a significant change: a new on-campus lunch service with food prepared on-site. While a cafeteria-style approach is common in many schools, the shift introduced unexpected drawbacks—not only were all families required to enroll their children with an added fee of nearly $2,000 per student annually, but the option for families to bring outside food was severely restricted.
“Participation in the Dining Program will be mandatory for all students from Junior Kindergarten through 12th Grade beginning Fall 2024.” – The O’Neal School Website
Imagine being a student who finds insects in their lunch. After photographing this unsettling discovery, they’re expected to eat from the same kitchen again the very next day. If this occurred at a restaurant, most diners would simply choose not to return. But in this case, with no option to opt out, the child has few alternatives but to tolerate these unpleasant conditions.
Prior to implementing the new lunch offering, the school completed a full renovation of the dining commons, adding new chairs, tables, updated decor, and a completely revamped kitchen. While these changes likely improved the campus’s overall appearance, they must have come at a substantial financial cost. Rather than expanding choice, mandatory enrollment in the dining service seems intended to secure an agreement with FISD or to help recover the expenses for the upgraded facility, ultimately limiting students’ options instead of enhancing them.
Parents have reported that their children are unhappy with the meal program (even before the barbequed larvae incident) noting that it often fails to meet even basic personal expectations. Students have described long lunch lines, lukewarm food by the time they’re served, and rushed meals within a brief lunch period. For some, lunch has become a matter of discarding unappetizing food and raiding the pantry as soon as they get home. Despite numerous complaints, O’Neal’s social media showcases the new dining service as a universally positive change, creating yet another stark contrast between the school’s polished image and the daily experiences on campus.
The Board of Trustees appears increasingly out of touch with the needs of the families it is meant to serve. We know of no other school in Moore County that mandates lunch service for all students, depriving parents of their right to choose what their children eat. It could easily be argued that this policy should never have been imposed, as it has left the community to contend with the consequences of yet another poor decision.