Lunchtime!

By April Horn | photography | Dec 1, 2025

Duval County Public Schools started charging for students to get lunches in the 2025-2026 school year. At Stanton College Preparatory School, these changes led many students to stop getting school lunch and instead bring different foods from home.

“I used to rely on the lunch the school provides because it was free and convenient, but now that I have started bringing my own lunch, I eat food that is better for me.”

Indianajones Pulumbarit, 12th

“Ever since I started bringing my own lunch to school, lunch became more colorful and flavorful, and I started to enjoy it more.”

Benjamin Serra, 10th

“I got the opportunity to eat more of my mom’s cooking after I had to start bringing lunch to school, rather than getting school lunch.”

Emily Doe, 10th

“I brought Idli for lunch which is a traditional south Indian food. It reminds me of my home in India because my grandma used to make it for me a lot. Now that I stopped buying school lunch, I have been eating more food from my culture.”

Charvika Rajashekar, 12th

“My mom packed me chicken, rice, and oranges for lunch today. Bringing my own lunch to school allows me to have more diverse food options and eat healthier foods.”

Alexa’s Tingson, 9th

“The lunch that I have started bringing from home has been much better than the lunch I used to get from school.”

Angela Chen, 10th

“School lunch is expensive and they always serve the same things, so I bring my own lunch now. Today I have a salad that tastes really good, but I get to bring different things every day.”

Anayo Nwahiri-Obianwu, 12th