Walk into a high school cafeteria at noon and count the empty seats. That number may reveal more than a foodservice problem.

After years of working with school nutrition leaders, and as a former foodservice director myself, I’ve come to see low meal participation as a broader campus signal. While open-campus policies can offer students flexibility and independence, they also present considerations that extend beyond the cafeteria. When large numbers of students leave for lunch or skip the cafeteria entirely, the effects can reach school security, attendance, discipline, staffing, equity and student connection...