High Schools Offer Just What Teens Want

BY SUSAN DICKERSON
SALISBURY POST

The men in suits were blocking the students’ path to lunch.

Gathered in one of East Rowan High’s lunchroom doorways, Rowan-Salisbury administrators conducted business. They huddled and had conversations they needed instead of getting restless while awaiting the arrival of Phil Kirk, State Board of Education chairman.

More than 20 minutes late, the Salisbury native arrived with no pomp and no entourage.

Kirk came to see the lunch room arrangement at East Rowan High, now called a food court. He was also visiting the school he graduated from and the cafeteria his mother managed for 20 years.

East cafeteria manager Annie Williams looked uncomfortable with all the attention and with nothing to do while waiting for the visitor.

She told visitors about the orange neon signs of Mustang Cafe, Eastside Deli, the Just Dessert cart and The Fountain.

It’s all part of the new setup at all of the cafeterias, an idea that’s proving to be profitable, too. All cafeteria sales are up through December, even with Salisbury and North high schools acquiring the new arrangement in October.

‘‘We’ve almost doubled what we take in daily,’’ said East’s cafeteria manager. ‘‘Before we did about $600 and something daily. We now do about $1,100 to $1,200 daily.’’

At the Mustang Cafe, students can only get pizzas, a salad and a drink. At the Eastside Deli, those choices rotate. And on the day of Kirk’s visit, cafeteria workers were serving chicken pot pie, green beans, apple crisp, a roll, a drink and a cookie. Both places still sell lunches for $1.50 to students and $2.25 to adults.

And if students have a sweet tooth, they can swing by the Just Desserts cart and pick up a no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookie, a rice crispie treat, a pretzel or even some banana pudding from 50 cents to $1.

Meanwhile, the fountain is serving up Coca-Cola products Fruitopia, Powerade or bottled water. And the latest flavor, Kiwiberry Ruckus, that just arrived Thursday, is selling like hotcakes.

At South, the students love it, according to senior Tara Runion. ‘‘I think it’s better than last year. I never ate cafeteria food before until this year, and now, I like the chicken.’’

At South, the cafe serves chicken nuggets everyday.

‘‘You have more variety,’’ said senior Angie Wyatt.

But for some, even that variety isn’t enough. They want more. ‘‘They could make it better by making more different foods,’’ said junior Derick Efird.

However, at South if students won’t buy enough food to break even – about 250 items of each variety – it’s not worth adding more.

‘‘Coming up with items everybody will agree on is hard to do,’’ said Principal Dr. Alan King. ‘‘But even this is much better than what we had. The lines are much shorter, and the participation is up.’’

As the buzzer rings for East’s lunch change, another hungry group descends on the cafeteria. And the wait isn’t as long since students split into shorter lines for their choices.

Arriving after that lunch change, Kirk works the lunch room speaking to students, teachers and cafeteria workers.

‘‘I haven’t seen anything like this in the 50 counties I’ve been in,’’ Kirk told the group.

And while Williams had to get another tray of pot pies, Kirk, who was waiting in the Eastside Deli line, just worked the room again.

Catching a teacher loaded down with drinks and food, Kirk asked Jon Heidrick, a biology and earth science teacher, how much more money he’d be getting to teach in another state.

‘‘About $8,000 a year more in New York,’’ he said.

‘‘Well, you’ll be getting an 8 percent raise this year,’’ Kirk said promising what has yet to be delivered by the N.C. General Assembly. ‘‘I know money’s not everything, but it will help.’’

Why did Heidrick choose North Carolina over that increase in salary, Kirk asked.

Student attitudes and community support, Heidrick said. Students are more willing to learn and there’s more community support. ‘‘I’m not moving from here,’’ Heidrick said. ‘‘I won’t be leaving this place.’’

So, what are some of the problems he sees with North Carolina education? ‘‘There’s too much feel-good education, and there’s too many kids who can’t comprehend reading.’’

‘‘Well, we’re going to stop that,’’ Kirk said. ‘‘We’re going to end social promotion,’’ he said speaking of the new state initiative to have students meet certain standards in lower grades before passing.

And as Kirk sat down to a white paper-covered table with a bouquet of silk flowers as a center piece, other administrators sat down too with a table full of students.

Williams hung in the background looking stressed and overwhelmed. Asked if she would be hosting another dignitary, she said, ‘‘I hope not anytime soon.’’