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Students urge more diverse menus and less plastic; committee to invite Aramark and form subcommittee
Summary
A student delegation presented a nearly 500‑response survey saying students want more culturally diverse menu options and less single‑use plastic at Lowell schools; the committee asked administration to invite the district food vendor (Aramark) and to consider a subcommittee to examine portion sizes, packaging alternatives and student input.
A student from Daley Middle School told the Lowell School Committee on May 7 that nearly 500 students completed a survey showing many want more culturally diverse lunch options and fewer Fridays with pizza. Sebastian Leguia also urged the district to reduce single‑use plastic containers, citing environmental and health concerns.
"Please value our health and our planet's health by reducing the plastic used at lunch every day," Sebastian said, and requested a student survey to better capture preferences on Friday meals.
Committee members and staff agreed the report did not fully answer the committee’s intent and recommended next steps: invite an Aramark representative to explain menu planning and USDA constraints, form an appropriate subcommittee (suggested: food and nutrition or school improvement and performance), and conduct a student survey at the school level to gather more representative input. Miss Doherty and others suggested exploring alternative packaging such as wax paper for sandwiches to reduce plastic waste.
Administration and the committee agreed to follow up with Aramark and return with options for packaging, portioning by age and possible subcommittee work. The committee then placed the matter on a path for more detailed review rather than taking immediate policy action.
