Metuchen students urge food-equity efforts, share-table expansion and request vending options

Three student advisory board members told the Metuchen Board of Education on April 14 that student-led initiatives are expanding across the district, particularly efforts to reduce food waste and make snacks more available for students who stay after school.

"My name is Krup Bagel. I'm in third grade, and one thing I like about the student advisory board is the people. They're very welcoming," the youngest of the three said. Sixth-grader Steven Jacobson highlighted the board’s impact on schoolwide changes: "the changes that we're able to make when we speak for the whole grade…can influence learning experience of the kids at the schools." Layla Weissblum, a junior at Matignon High School, said the board helps students learn "behind the scenes" about how schools collaborate.

Dr. Caputo, who introduced the visit and said the district will host a fuller student presentation on June 9, described ongoing food-equity work. He said the district partners with Share My Meals and a local food pantry to collect uneaten, unopened food twice weekly; that food is redistributed to families or used by partner agencies. He also described school "share tables" where unopened or untouched items are set aside for others instead of being discarded and said the district hopes to add refrigerators to preserve perishable items for sharing.

Students described a recent success: the rollout of a share table at Campbell that involved collaboration with the environmental club and school volunteers. Steven said he also asked for a vending machine to provide sports drinks after practice; Dr. Caputo said district food-service provider Pomptonian was asked to consider the request and had offered to work on potential solutions at the school level.

Board members praised the students’ approach to soliciting feedback from classmates — in-person conversations, club outreach and classroom networks — and thanked Mrs. Taylor, who organizes the advisory board, for coordinating the visit. The board invited the student advisory group to return for the June presentation and additional Q&A.

The district also signaled follow-through: Dr. Caputo described concrete steps — continuing the partnership with Share My Meals, exploring refrigeration for share tables, and working with Pomptonian on vending options — and said administrators will report back at future meetings.