With that info about the area and the students, I think the best route would be to grow vegetables that have a tangible result for the kids to peak their interest as well as to provide some good nutrition. But, you need soil and containers to do it in. In my area, Home Depot has been generous with community gardens, so that might an avenue. As a school, you can order from wholesalers also, but funds are needed for that.
I am faced with growing in the small space of my roof top gutter garden an making it produce enough to provide some fresh vegetable for our homeless ministry. Therefore I select vegetables that are going to produce lots in small spaces. I grow almost entirely dwarf tomatoes. I really cut back on the cherry varieties because of the labor involved in picking and limited volunteers, but I think they would work very well for the students. I had some old screens left on the roof and l put them to use for growing climbing green beans and climbing spinach. Herbs go a long way and are well worth their space. Peppers earn their keep, though I stay away from thick walled bells. They take too long and aren't as productive. Cucumbers and zucchini don't do well up there, but if you can avoid the mildew, they would be great. Green onions work. Lettuces and kale work. Radishes would work, if they are interested. I stay away from things that a cheap in the grocery stores, like carrots, etc.
Toward spring, you might want to grow some of the easy-to-grow-from-seed flowers to could be put in a highly visible outdoor bed, so the kids would have something to point out was their doing.
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