Students stand in lunch lines at Jesuit for almost ten minutes. They wait in long lines, hungry, waiting for their turn. They almost get to the front, when a group of students cut in front of them, making their wait time even longer.
The problem: the punch card lunch card system is outdated and time consuming. They cause lunch lines to take up an excessive amount of time, time that should be spent hanging out with friends, eating, going to the bathroom, or even studying and finishing homework.
It’s time for Jesuit to implement an online lunch system.
There are so many online lunch softwares, such as EZ School Apps, Vanco Payments, and LunchTime software, all with great reviews and affordable prices. Investing in one of these systems will make lunch at Jesuit way more convenient.
Officials at Jesuit even agree, like the head of the lunch program, Ms. Clauson.
“The current system is archaic. It’s out of date,” said Clauson.
Currently, Jesuit has a punch card system where students buy a punch card and use the points on it to buy food. However, because they’re teens, students can lose these cards and waste the money used to buy the punch cards. Also, when the lunch card is getting low on points, the lunch workers have to take time to calculate how many points the meal is and what combination of points to use. This leads to longer wait times and, in my personal experience, potential total miscalculations.
An online system would eradicate these issues. Time spent in line would also be cut down because the lunch workers would just have to swipe the card instead of calculating the total and then punching the appropriate amount.
Additionally, Jesuit would benefit if each student’s account was linked to their student ID. Many students don’t keep their student ID on their person, leading to problems regarding identification. Having the lunch account attached to the student ID would make students more inclined to keep it on their person.
One downside of an online lunch card system is it will cost more than the punch card system we currently have. However, relative to 1,300 students using this program, it’s worth it. Jesuit constantly raises funds for other school-related programs. So getting this lunch card system would be no different while also being beneficial to all students and staff at Jesuit.
The business office, with the current systems of students paying using cash or check to buy a lunch card, has to transfer the cash or check earnings into an online account. An online system would mean the money students pay for lunch would already be in an online account, making it easier to access the money for the lunch program.
An online system would greatly benefit lunch time at Jesuit by helping to shorten lines and leaving more time to be productive. It’s time to step into the 21st century.
