Caroline Strickland, chair of the Shrewsbury High School Student Advisory Committee, presented the SAC report at the Jan. 8 School Committee meeting and detailed student concerns about overcrowding, cafeteria service and bathroom conditions as the second semester begins.

Why it matters: students said daily material conditions — cafeteria congestion, long lunch lines and nonworking bathroom stalls — are affecting instruction and student well-being. Committee members and administrators said the issues will be raised with the town’s Public Buildings department and with school food-service leadership.

What students reported
SAC members said hallway congestion and long lines for lunch can leave students with "only 10 to 15 minutes left to eat" and that some menu items are gone by later lunch blocks. The report said certain food options are unavailable by the end of some lunch periods, affecting students with allergies or religious dietary restrictions.

Students also reported bathroom infrastructure problems, including that in some girls’ restrooms "at least 1 out of the 7 stalls are inoperable on each floor," weak hand dryers and stall-door gaps that cause long lines during passing periods.

Other student highlights
The SAC described a range of student activities and programs: two recent financial-education events for seniors (a FAFSA/financial-aid evening and a school-day financial-literacy presentation), weekly lunch-and-learn career talks, field trips (63 AP English students to Walden Pond on Nov. 7), a kids-night-out event with about 290 children attending and a profit near $5,200, and seasonal concerts with about 250 student musicians.

Administration response and next steps
Assistant Principal O'Connell and representatives from Public Buildings (Joel Mansey) confirmed ongoing work to address hand-dryer airflow and other restroom issues raised at the high-school town meeting; Dr. Sawyer said a consultant will be hired in winter (target February) to review food choices, cultural and religious accommodations, allergy needs and the constrained service environment caused by increased demand from free lunch programs.

The committee thanked students for the detailed report and asked for continued student input as the district plans longer-term facilities and food-service adjustments.

— Coverage based on the Jan. 8 meeting transcript and direct remarks by Caroline Strickland and student SAC members.