Students highlight school lunches, trips and performances; Vernon Hills wins first state doubles tennis title

The CHSD 128 Board of Education on Oct. 27 recognized Vernon Hills High Schoolgirls' tennis and heard multiple student reports on lunch service, community events and extracurricular achievements.

"My name is Andrew Young, the proud principal at Vernon Hills High School," Andrew Young said in introducing the tennis team. Coach Gerber told the board the team finished the season 11-4-1, that eight seniors were named scholar-athletes in the conference, and that the doubles pair of Paulina Masharava and Camilla Tomaszka each finished the season 27-0. "This is our first state title in any, for the 51 seasons that I have been the head coach of, this program," Coach Gerber said.

Students received certificates and posed for photos with board members before the meeting moved to student reporting. Student school-board representative Ashvaramesh summarized a districtwide survey of 330 responses on school lunch. The report said the average rating for school lunch was 3.75 out of 5, with about two-thirds of feedback positive; 61 percent said portion sizes were "just about right," and 40 percent of surveyed students ate lunch daily. Areas for improvement included perceived value (2.67 out of 5), healthiness (3.19 out of 5), and operational issues: only 24 percent said enough options remained by later lunch periods, and around 40 percent said they had enough time to eat after waiting in line. Students recommended more affordable options, clearer price labeling, staggering production to serve later lunch periods, speedier lines, and piloting extended cafe hours (cafe 145) for grab-and-go items.

Student presenters also described a variety of student learning and cultural activities: a dual-credit early-childhood education field trip, a student-hosted garba (cultural event) that raised funds for a local mandir, and an East Coast "D128 Daring College and Culture Tour" that visited eight colleges including Howard, Bowie State, Morgan State and Johns Hopkins.

Other student updates included theater and athletics: a Libertyville student reflected on serving as stage manager for Les Mis(about 110 company members), and a Vernon Hills senior described the end of cross-country season and the bonds formed through athletics.

Board members congratulated the athletes and thanked students for their reports. The presentations provided the board with insight into student experience, nutrition concerns and community engagement opportunities.