By Alex Gounaris & Nicole Souza
Staff Writers

The Westford Academy cafeteria has entered a new age of electronic purchases and touch screen technology.

Tuesday, February 26, was the first day students experienced Nutri-Kids, a computerized point of sale system allowing students and faculty to purchase lunch by simply typing their school identification number onto a keypad. In addition to convenient buyer abilities, the system also creates an account for the individual containing their basic information like name, grade, and a profile picture as well as allergy information. Along with a new buyer system, the cafeteria has also added touch screen monitors to process sales at a faster rate.

Nutri-Kids allows the user to transfer funds into an account linked to the users school ID number; the user is alerted when their account is low on funds. If the buyer prefers to pay with cash or a lunch ticket, this is an option, however the buyer is still required to enter in their student ID number. Any funds that remain unused from the current school year will carry over into next year, and Nutri-Kids will allow a negative balance up to three lunches.

Although Nutri-Kids slows the process of buying lunch for many students and faculty who use cash or ticket, the lunch staff greatly benefits from the new system according to head of lunch staff Colleen Wallace.

“[Nutri-Kids] will allow [the lunch staff] to accurately record the number of student lunches we’re selling, and what students are buying,” said Wallace.

However, not everyone feels the same way as the lunch staff; students are frustrated by the new system.

“If you forget your ID number it takes a while for them to look it up, you end up waiting a long time just to buy a muffin,” explained senior James Tyman.