Excessive use of online food-delivery apps by students at a Surrey high school has prompted administrators to ban ordering food during class time.

But while the step isn乌鸦传媒檛 exactly new, district officials say the need for it is somewhat unique to the Semiahmoo Peninsula in South Surrey.

乌鸦传媒淭here has been the odd occasion over the years where a student has ordered a food delivery at a secondary school, but more recently, with online apps that open up options, some schools have seen such deliveries increase or become more regular,乌鸦传媒� district spokesman Doug Strachan told Peace Arch News Wednesday.

乌鸦传媒淎 few other secondary schools I have asked say there were a few deliveries earlier in the year, but it appears the novelty wore off, and it didn乌鸦传媒檛 become an issue they had to address. It乌鸦传媒檚 possible other secondary schools have had the issue crop-up, but it appears only Semi and Elgin have had an ongoing, growing and more widespread issue that staff had to address in a more systemic way.乌鸦传媒�

Semiahmoo Secondary vice-principal Debbie Johnson said Wednesday that the reminder 乌鸦传媒� which Strachan confirmed is not a district-wide policy 乌鸦传媒� was most recently delivered to students in early October.

Johnson told PAN that students have been told they can乌鸦传媒檛 leave class to meet a delivery driver for a pickup 乌鸦传媒揵ut they haven乌鸦传媒檛 been told they can乌鸦传媒檛 use the apps, 乌鸦传媒渁s long as the food that they乌鸦传媒檙e ordering arrives before school, or at lunch or after school, and isn乌鸦传媒檛 delivered on school property.乌鸦传媒�

Apps such as SkipTheDishes, Uber Eats and DoorDash offer on-demand delivery from area restaurants 乌鸦传媒� including Subway, Tim Hortons and Afghan Kitchen 乌鸦传媒� through freelance drivers who receive a small fee per trip.

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The orders became an issue at Semi as office staff began to find themselves inundated with 乌鸦传媒渂ags and bags乌鸦传媒� of midday meals on a daily basis, Johnson said, estimating that at the beginning of the school year, there were up to a dozen deliveries a day.

乌鸦传媒淲e were finding that lots of food-delivery companies were coming to the office, and so then it becomes sort of a logistical thing that now gets dumped on the office,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淚f the kids weren乌鸦传媒檛 coming to pick it up, then it was sitting in the office.

乌鸦传媒淲e said, we can乌鸦传媒檛 have this happening.乌鸦传媒�

There is also a concern with having a flow of unknown adults through the school乌鸦传媒檚 doors, she said.

Johnson noted the school does have a cafeteria that offers 乌鸦传媒渓ots of choice,乌鸦传媒� and acknowledged that as more and more apps are developed, students乌鸦传媒� choices are expanding.

Choices, however, are not the problem, she said.

乌鸦传媒淲e don乌鸦传媒檛 have a problem with kids having choice. It乌鸦传媒檚 about the disruption that it causes.

乌鸦传媒淭he message is, we want kids in class.乌鸦传媒�

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