San Angelo ISD Stands by Lake View Closed Campus; Parents Press for Changes

SAN ANGELO, TX — The San Angelo ISD Board of Trustees on Monday received an update on Lake View High School’s closed-campus lunch, with the superintendent defending the policy on safety and academic grounds while parents and students urged fixes for food portions, crowding and restroom access.

Superintendent Dr. Christopher Moran said federal school nutrition rules bar food trucks from operating where reimbursable meals are served, noting, “The reason food trucks cannot be on campus is because if students purchase those and eat in the same areas that our students who receive cafeteria foods eat, we are in violation of school nutrition laws.” 

He added that Lake View offers free breakfast and lunch for all students and reported fewer tardies after lunch since the change.

Moran said additional deli-style tables are being added, and the library remains available as a quieter eating area. He said he would follow up with the nutrition department on portion concerns raised by trustees and speakers but signaled no reversal

“I’ve got no intentions of changing course," he said.

Trustee Kyle Mills said that he and Trustee Karla Cardenas visited Lake View during lunch. He reported available seating and acceptable line flow. He did question whether portions were adequate, calling portion sizes "suboptimal," particularly for athletes.

Cardenas asked to observe on a full-attendance day as several athletic teams were away to compete. She said up to 100 students were not there the day they ate lunch at the school.

During public comment, speakers criticized the rollout and conditions under a closed campus. A Lake View senior said portions had shrunk on popular menu days.

“I get two scoops of rice and one scoop of protein. I don’t feel like that’s fair," she said.

Another parent advocate asked the district to reopen lunch or bring back outside vendors off campus to reduce crowding.

"This disparity thing (between Lake View and Central), let it go," Board Secretary Gerard Gallegos said. "I've been hearing it for 20 years."

"This district has not ignored your needs," he said. "That's what I'm saying. You're not being treated like a redheaded stepchild." 

Board President Dr. Taylor Kingman framed the change within a broader push to improve secondary-level academics and attendance, saying difficult steps are likely as the district pursues higher performance.

“Both of our secondary campuses academically are F. … In order to make the academics where they need to be, we’re going to have to make some really hard changes that are going to upset people all over this town, and the reality is that is what is necessary,” Kingman said.

District leaders said they are monitoring lunch operations, seating capacity, and food service at Lake View and pledged to follow up on portion concerns.