KERSHAW COUNTY, S.C. — The Kershaw County School District has found a unique way to keep school cafeterias staffed officials works to hire more people.
Misha Lawyer, Coordinator for Nutrition Services with the district says it all started with students wanting to help.
Over the summer, two teenagers approached Lawyer and asked if she needed any help in the cafeteria or if there was anything they could do. That sparked an idea in her mind: Why can't they work here?
"They go to school in the morning and they are done around 11 or 12 o'clock, and then they come in and work a four-hour shift with us," Lawyer said. The students are paid the same as a normal cafeteria employee.
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Lawyer says this is a win-win for the students and for the school. "The students are able to have a job and make money, while we are able to fill some of the vacancies from them being here."
Lawyer says it's been a breath of fresh air to have kids working in the cafeteria, especially ones who come in and help us with the menu, saying they have helped bring in more students and tried different foods.
Camden High School and Lugoff-Elgin High School are two of the schools that are offering the unique experience, and they plan to expand it even further due to the positive input.