When students and staff transitioned into the new building last April all vending machines were returned to VendNatural, the contractor. Administrators are weighing the pros and cons of returning vending machines when construction is complete. While Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has a vending contract available to all schools, no school is obligated to use it.
The old building had both drink and snack machines. They contained a variety of beverages and snacks that complied with MCPS’s nutritional guidelines and were accessible throughout the school day.
However, some staff were concerned that the machines distracted students.
World Language teacher Ms. Cindy Sibrian felt the vending machines caused her students to leave class and miss learning time.
“If [students are] going to go to the bathroom you should trust them to go to the bathroom and come back, not take 20 minutes to go and grab some snacks,” Sibrian said.
School Business Administrator Ms. Susan Krouner echoed these thoughts. She also expressed concern that after school, vending machines competed with student clubs selling food.
Quarterly, the school received a small commission from the vending machines. However this money was not enough to make a difference in the school budget, and Krouner would rather students purchase food from club fundraisers.
Additionally, students sometimes put money into the machines and did not receive what they had paid for. They then had to reach out to VendNatural.
While senior Maher Mezni concedes that vending machines do cause students to leave class, in his opinion, vending machines do more good than bad and prevent students from being hungry at school.
“People can often skip breakfast or skip lunch for one reason or another and if they need a quick snack it’s always available, right there,” Mezni said.
Mezni also believes that even with vending machines, students have an incentive to patronize bake sales because they sell better-tasting, homemade foods.
A decision regarding vending machines will likely be made around the fall of 2025 when construction is projected to be completed. Administrators value student feedback, and Krouner mentioned the possibility of a survey on the topic.
There is space for machines in the hubs, and other potential locations could include outside of the new cafeteria and/or gym. A decision also would need to be made about what types of machines and food items to request, according to Krouner.
Mezni said that he would like to see both snack and beverage machines back in the building. He also stated he would appreciate more healthy drink options, like vitamin water, and more spicy snacks, like Takis.
For machines to be functional during the school day, the food in them would have to meet MCPS nutritional standards.
