Oakton has recently started talking about their no food delivery policy. While it may have been spoken about in advisory and on cougar news, there are still many Oakton students who do not seem to know what it really is about, or if it is necessary. To provide more information about the policy, assistant principal Mr.Olivo delved into the details of this regulation.

Q: Is this a new policy?

According to assistant principal Mr.Olivo, this is not a new policy and has really been around for years. However, it has become a rising issue due to the increasing popularity of delivery apps like Uber Eats. “Kids can’t come off-campus. Kids aren’t supposed to even leave campus and bring food back let alone interact with uber drivers. You can buy lunch or you can bring your lunch, those are our two options,” said Olivo.

Q: Why is this policy being enforced?

Mr.Olivo asserted that strangers coming in the school without permission are not only trespassing and illegal, but hard to monitor. This is a very big safety issue and could cause the school to be liable. “You are only allowed to come in one door if you’re not a student, door four. So when we have kids who say ‘Oh I’m gonna meet up with you at door six or seven,’ then we can’t control our campus. That’s a very big security issue,” said Olivo.

Q: Can this be found in the SR&R Handbook?

“Yes, under ‘Unauthorized Presence at School Property.’ That’s what the person would be, the driver. It is illegal for them to come here. I mean, we’ve told them that they’re not allowed to be on school campuses. You would have to look at the legal, but it’s also in the SR&R handbook. If an individual invites them on campus, they can be in violation of that,” said Olivo.

Q: Can this get the driver in trouble?

Olivo said that “it’s not a huge thing, but we always tell the drivers ‘okay you guys. you’re meeting with a student on school grounds outside of things, without permission of an adult,’ so that they are aware. I know we have a system where they have to put their driver’s license and there’s a quick background check done. Any individual who’s on campus has to go through that, even parents.”

Q: What are the consequences for students who break this rule?

“Well, generally we will confiscate it. We can confiscate and throw it away, or we can confiscate it and hold it till the end of the day. Usually, that’s a decision based on circumstances that happen.” said Olivo.

Q: Are there any exceptions to this policy?

“Not really during lunch hours. Sometimes, we allow classes if they’re doing a class party, or if a club is doing an event, but it has to be before or after lunch. We are not supposed to have a competitor with the cafeteria. That is one reason why clubs aren’t allowed to bring in pizza and sell it during lunches because that would be competing with the cafeteria,” said Olivo.

Delivering food to school is a huge safety violation because of not only the legalities, but it also being hard to control and keep track of, which can lead to disastrous problems. Oakton High School administrators expect students to follow the no food delivery policy to protect both themselves and the rest of the school. More information on the no food delivery policy can be found in the SR&R Handbook, or feel free to ask the security office any questions.