Skyline High School’s beloved Skystore, a student-run store for cookies, snacks, and more, has been forced to scale back its operations this year, leaving students craving their lunchtime favorites and creating a clash between district and student opinions.
On September 24th, 2024, the Skyline Café, the district-owned school cafeteria, required that Skyline’s student-run Skystore close for two days a week. The Skystore, a student-run business, distributes cookies, beverages, snacks, and apparel to all students. Students purchase the merchandise during both school lunch hours.
Skystore members claim that this closure was due to the fierce competition between the two. “We are in competition with Chartwells that supplies all of our cafeterias with their food,” says Skystore Faculty Advisor Robert Shannon. “Since Chartwells sells similar products to us, like drinks or chips, they are theoretically a competitor of ours.”
District officials assert that the change was made because school stores must meet the USDA Smart Snack Standards, or risk a fine. [See: our related story about the Cookie recipe controversy.]
The Skystore has complied with the district’s demands. “We are going to sell more apparel and accessories,” says Shannon, “but we’re going to get a lot of other things for kids to choose from, stickers, decals, mugs, and different things [which] kids can choose to help keep up profits.”
Skyline’s CTE (Career and Technical Education) program helps students to build an understanding of how to run a business. Students in the BMIT (Business Marketing & Information Technology) CTE program take classes and learn to run and work in the school store. Chartwells wants to work with these students to help them understand running a business. “The CTE can even have a wider experience in how stores operate and how you order and how you price things,” says Nowland-Margolis.
Though they are still open three times a week and serve cookies on those days, some students are concerned about the disruption of the Skystore hours and what that means for cookie access. “It’s a nice little treat at lunch, and it really improves my day,” says Matthew Christiansen (‘25), “and if I’m ever too thirsty, I can always get a drink there too.”
Other students are also concerned about getting a treat every day. “We won’t be able to [buy as many cookies],” says Cayden Zillich (‘28). “Because they’re only open three days a week, I’m disappointed I can’t get my cookies every day anymore.”
Note: one reporter of this story, Robby Shannon, is related to Robert Shannon, who is mentioned.
