Could Public School Food Courts Save Illinois Taxpayers Money?

In Illinois, the taxpayer has provided high levels of funding for students and school districts compared to the rest of the United States. Illinois ranks sixth nationally in per student funding. This level of spending doesn’t match the academic output from students. So where can Illinois save money?

Illinois school districts keep seeking out additional funding. Is the answer in the Cafeteria?

Could the cafeteria be at least a part of the answer? In many public schools across the United States fast food companies have set up small versions of their familiar brands for the students. In some locations the school cafeteria can look more like a food court than a traditional school line and tray cafeteria.

The precise locations for fast food chains that have set up shop in school cafeterias are difficult to ascertain as each school district negotiates its own deal with the companies. But if a school district can essentially rent out cafeteria space to a fast food restaurant brand, that equals revenue coming in that wasn’t there before. Perhaps a deal can be reached on a percentage cut of what is sold. Again, found revenue. This would also then mean less money spent on buying and preparing food for students as the fast food chains would be doing that for themselves. This doesn’t mean that traditional school lunch would necessarily disappear. It could just be one of the choices that students have.

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There is precedent here on a couple levels. Fast food chains have been invited into public school cafeterias for a long time. At a suburban high school in Minnesota McDonald's was prepping and selling lunch to students in the mid-1980’s. You could also think of it in terms of a level up from providing snack cakes or items you would find in a convenience store at a special cafeteria kiosk.

Hopkins High in Minnetonka, MN. was serving up fast food forty years ago.

Several chains already are in public school cafeterias across the country, led by Pizza Hut. They are in over 1200 school cafeterias. Followed by Subway, McDonald’s, Taco Bell and Chick Fil-a.

Would you (your student) welcome fast food chains in school cafeterias?

By the way, this could also be translated into the concession stand at high school football and basketball games. Treating the venue more like a for profit model (which again should make the school district money) instead of another version of a little league concession stand. These things could definitely save money – or even make money for public school districts in Illinois.