Highland Park High School has rewritten its recipe for serving students with the cafeteria’s first renovation since 2002.
In the reimagined serving area, lines have been added and rerouted, food options relocated, walls removed, and some stations expanded to create a speedier checkout for students and a functional, collaborative experience for volunteers and staff, explained parent teacher association president Nicole Brewer.
The upgrades have brought additional healthy choices to the table for hungry high schoolers. The school has been able to double its salad bar options, as well as add flavorful entrees and meats such as citrus dill grilled salmon thanks to the installation of new equipment.
The salmon debuted during the first week of school and was immediately popular. Even on burger and fries day, the cafeteria took about 135 orders of the fish, said food service manager Brenda Vardell.
The dining area’s tables have been replaced by a range of furniture configurations that fit any sized group. There’s a spot for every student, including those who want to spend lunchtime at their laptops, either alone or with classmates.
New acoustic paneling and sound-buffering flooring has turned down the volume, and lighting has brightened the space, Brewer said. She added that mobile furniture together with the leveling of the cafeteria’s floor has made it possible to use the dining area for multiple events. District staff even gathered there for a convocation breakfast at the start of the school year.
The high school has also posted screens highlighting the week’s menu so that students can plan ahead.
Principal Kevin Hunt called the changes “a huge upgrade.”
“You can just tell the kids are more likely to eat here and stay here during lunch and enjoy themselves,” he said. “The new furniture makes a big difference. The floor is safer and easier to clean. The kitchen is much improved for Brenda, and her staff, and the volunteers.”
Highland Park High School seniors can leave campus for lunch. But they’ll be challenged to find options such as tortilla crusted tilapia, smoked brisket sandwiches, and Caribbean chicken with mango salsa nearby. Even staff from the nearby Highland Park ISD offices have started coming to the high school to grab a bite, Brewer noted.
High school junior Arrabella Kersey said that customizable paninis were her top choice at the cafeteria.
“I really like how many options there are,” she said one Friday after selecting a turkey and cheese panini. “There’s a great variety. You can choose from a lot.”
Senior Cate Webster praised the new location of her favorite menu item, the baked potato bar, which used to share a line with the salad bar but now has a dedicated space.
“It’s definitely faster,” she said of the cafeteria’s checkout process. “Everything feels a lot more clean, new, and polished than before.”
Volunteer day captain Jessica Klein took home a baked potato and all the fixings at the end of her shift as a cashier. Klein has been helping out in Highland Park ISD cafeterias since 2015, when her oldest child started kindergarten at Armstrong Elementary.
While it’s the kids who keep Klein coming back, she appreciates the upgraded space.
“It’s beautiful,” she said. “It’s so inviting. It’s gorgeous. They did a great job.”
The renovations were funded by about $3 million from the bond approved by voters in November 2024 and PTA contributions.
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