Lunch isn’t what it used to be. When Byron High School students head to lunch these days, the experience looks and feels nothing like the long cafeteria lines many adults remember. Instead, they find stations with names like “Wings,” “Breakfast Bash,” and “Pasta Palooza,” where choices are plentiful, flavors are bold, and excitement buzzes through the serving area. Behind this transformation is Food Services Manager Tania VanBriesen, who has led Byron’s bold step away from the National School Lunch Program and into a new era of student-centered dining.

For Tania, food is more than sustenance. It’s culture, community, and even recruitment. “The kids are excited about lunch again,” she said. “They come in, and it doesn’t matter which section they go to—there’s something for everyone.” That renewed energy is exactly what she hoped for when the district decided to make the leap.

The move didn’t come lightly. Byron had long followed the strict calorie counts and portion controls of the federal program. But when students began voicing their frustrations—through classroom essays, casual conversations, and comparisons to other schools—the district listened. “They wanted food with flavor,” Tania recalled. “They’d been to other schools, seen what was possible, and asked, why not here?”

Partnering with Quest Food Services as a consultant, Tania guided Byron through the process of designing a new system that would meet student expectations while still being financially sustainable. One of her first moves was creating a student food committee. “Primarily kids,” she emphasized. “We did taste tests, asked for feedback, and they told us what they liked. We’re bringing them back again this year to try more.”

The result is a two-tiered offering. The “Tiger Meal,” available for $3.50 (free or reduced for qualifying students), provides four daily choices, including perennial favorites like pizza, fruits, and vegetables. Then there’s the “Hemisphere” line, which offers larger, more deluxe meals—think chicken tenders with potatoes and a roll, or a French toast breakfast sandwich with tater tots—priced between $4.50 and $5.50. Add in a panini station with  soups coming this fall, and Byron’s cafeteria begins to resemble a college campus dining hall more than a traditional school lunchroom.

That redesign was intentional. Over the summer, the district gutted its old cafeteria and built a brand-new serving area with fryers, steamers, a griddle, and modern equipment. Students no longer shuffle through a single-file line; instead, they move freely to the stations they prefer, just as they might in higher education dining halls. “We wanted it to feel like something beyond high school,” Tania explained. “Something they’d be excited to come to.”

Leaving the National School Lunch Program also meant giving up federal subsidies—a decision that made some in the district nervous. But Byron leaders believed in a three-year trial: if the program can sustain itself financially, it will stay. If not, it can be reevaluated. For Tania, the metric is simple: “If it’s paying for itself, then it’s working.”

One of her biggest concerns was making sure that students on free and reduced lunch weren’t singled out. “It was important to me that the Tiger Meal wasn’t just for them,” she said. “We wanted lots of choices so everyone would want it. That way nobody feels stigmatized.” Early signs suggest it’s working—students who never ate school lunch before are now giving it a try.

The impact has been felt beyond the food itself. Tania says there’s a fresh energy among her 20 staff members, spread across Byron’s three schools. “At first, they were dreading it. They were scared of the change,” she said. “But now, they’re really liking it. There’s a new light in my lunchroom.”

Her journey to this role began 11 years ago, when she was hired as head cook at the high school. At the time, each kitchen ran itself, and the strain was beginning to show. The district created a director position, and Tania stepped into it, shaping the program into what it is today. Though she hails from Stillman Valley—the neighboring town Byron loves to spar with—she has become an integral part of the Byron family. “There’s just a sense of pride here,” she reflected. “You see it at the games, in the band, in the community spirit. It’s special.”

That pride is reflected in the food itself. Byron has even explored farm-to-table initiatives, bringing in pork chops from Eichman’s, a local producer, through a grant. It’s a reminder that school food doesn’t have to be generic or disconnected—it can reflect the richness of the community it serves.

For now, breakfast isn’t on the menu, though Tania once pushed for it and hasn’t given up on the idea. “Most districts are doing it,” she said. “Maybe in the next few years we’ll get there.” One step at a time, she’s changing the way students think about what it means to eat at school.

Byron’s new approach is bold, a little risky, and already inspiring smiles in the lunchroom. And for Tania VanBriesen, that’s proof enough that they’re on the right track.