Don’t treat students like we’re feeding cattle

Of course it's not enough time for students to eat (school lunch, Iowa City elementary buildings) in 15 minutes, let alone have enough time to digest their food. Our children are not a commodity or robots, they're living, breathing, human beings. Since when do we or should we treat them like cattle?

I've been there when the kids eat. It's like an assembly line, hurry them in, hurry them out. Maybe there wouldn't be so many complaints of so much wasted food if they were given enough time to settle down and enjoy their food.

Nutrition is important to a growing child. Maybe having them come to school five minutes earlier and leaving five minutes later would solve the problem.

Do not shorten their recess time. They also need physical activity as well for a healthy body. I don't know what the Iowa City school board will do, but I hope there will be some much-needed thought about what's best for our children.

Jill Jencks

Marion