Students and employees are both affected in some way because of the proximity of the school and Publix.

“I would say they’re affected in a positive and a negative way.  It’s nice to have the Publix close by where students are allowed to go before and after school for snacks and stuff like that. But we have had some instances where there were some students who got into trouble,” Hall monitor Hosea Young said.

It is not only students and staff that have an opinion about this situation, but employees too. Some of the employees have multiple day shifts, so it can be tiring for them when there are a high number of students coming in. For some employees, this situation could cause trouble, but for others it could be seen as a beneficial thing; though Publix employees decline to comment.

“The employees may be having a more hectic day than normal, but it will be more hectic around a specific time of day like after school. Otherwise, it could be a normal day for them because they might be accustomed to having so many students, it’s normal for them,” Math for data and financial literacy teacher Maizie Williams stated.

For the Champions Crossing Publix, more students could mean more income, and for students, it could be seen as a convenient place to pass time. However, whether it is beneficial or not depends on students’ behavior towards the employees.

“I think it could be positive for students but negative for the employees. While the students could stay safe while waiting for their parents, the employees might have to deal with immature students that make messes or cause disruption to other people. The employees could feel stressed or annoyed with the students, they could even file complaints to the school if it gets too hectic,” Sophomore Claraliz Made said.

Some students find it convenient that Publix is so close to the school, since they can meet up with the person who is going to pick them up there rather than going through the traffic the school faces. It could be an effective way to avoid loss of time. On the other hand, it risks putting the students in danger if they decide to walk towards Publix, since they could face the danger of traffic.

“Someone could tell a student that they’re a friend of their parents and they’re picking them up, and the student might follow them. It’s a bit worrying that some students could put themselves in a position where they get hurt,” Made stated.

Some stores that are close to schools, like Publix, get more sale boosts during the school year than other times of the year, perhaps because of the frequency of students’ visits during school days versus during free days. This is likely because the store is conveniently in the student’s way when they go home.

“The Publix store could get more sales, especially if they offer things students like. Actually, a lot of times some businesses lost profit when schools were out of session because a large amount of their customers were students,” Williams said.

However, there have been problems arising at the Publix store before due to students from school, which could lead to future disagreements, and some staff members are not pleased. Hall monitor Mr. Young shares his concerns about the effect other student’s behavior could have on the school’s reputation.

“Some students have gotten in trouble for stealing at Publix, and of course that puts a bad name on the school because they can see our school’s uniform and determine where the students are from, and we don’t want that,” Young shared.

People’s opinions about whether a store being next to a school is beneficial or not may differ, but some students and staff see the positive aspects, and some see the negative aspects, be it Publix offering students safety or the students helping the store economically.

“I love the atmosphere in Publix. I’ve met a couple of students there and it’s nice. You could go down there and get yourself something to eat or get something to drink and sit down in the upstairs lounge and chat with your classmates or friends, yeah, I love that store,” Young stated.