Division I regional track finals
Fenwick graduation 2012
Ponitz graduation 2012
E-mail 
E-mail Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2011 > January > 14
Friday, January 14, 2011
Area schools worry about cost of proposed new lunch rules
Officials from several area school districts expressed concern over the potential price tag that would accompany proposed nutrition standards announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Thursday.
“We’ll do what we have to do, but it doesn’t change the fact it will increase our costs,” said Stephen Grundy, director of nutrition services for Dayton Public Schools. Sarah Mathews, food service manager of Springboro Community City Schools, said, “It may increase the price of lunches.”
The guidelines would impact any district participating in federally subsidized school meal programs . Most Miami Valley school districts would be affected.
While local officials said the guidelines are a move in the right direction, they were quick to point out the increased costs involved in making healthier changes.
Louise Easterly, supervisor of food and nutrition for Kettering City Schools, noted that buying a whole grain bun instead of one made from white flour, a fresh apple instead of applesauce and carrot sticks rather than green beans adds 23 cents to every meal.
“Schools are willing to make the necessary change,” she said, “but it becomes a genuine challenge when additional funds are not there to support the changes.”
Healthier school lunches will cost more, but who will pay?
For four years, Dayton Public Schools officials say they have been moving toward offering more nutritious meals to students by removing trans fats and adding more whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables.
New federal standards proposed Thursday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture didn’t come as a surprise to Stephen Grundy, the district’s director of nutrition services, or other area school nutrition officials who have been preparing for the first major nutritional overhaul of school meals in 15 years.
“We need to be doing this because we know it’s coming,” Grundy said.
Grundy agrees kids today need to be eating healthier foods and that schools play an important role in that. But like many food service directors, he feels pressure to have his department make money while ensuring that children are eating nutritious meals.
Kettering City Schools’ supervisor of food and nutrition, Louise Easterly, said to incorporate healthier choices and remain financially solvent, school lunch programs will need to determine if the price of a paid student lunch should be increased or if budget cuts can be made in other areas, such as labor, supplies or equipment.
“It’s no different than consumers who go to the grocery store for their own families,” she said. “They buy the foods they can based upon the amount of money available to spend.”
While the new child nutrition act would raise the reimbursement of federally subsidized meals by six cents per meal, Easterly noted that making three small changes to one meal could raise the cost by nearly 25 cents.
Many districts, including Beavercreek, Kettering and Huber Heights, say they’ve already ad opted many of the proposed standards.
“The issue we will need to work on is the sodium content,” Easterly said. “Our primary manufacturers recognize this is an issue and are reformulating recipes to lower the sodium levels.”
Sarah Mathews, food service manager of Springboro Community City Schools, noted, “If they’re going to cut sodium, we’re going to have to cut out some of the prepared foods.” Mathew said the new guidelines would force cafeterias to return to past practices before processed foods were permitted in cafeterias.
“We’re just going backwards. We used to do this years ago,” said Mathews, who has worked in Springboro school cafeterias for 20 years.
Huber Heights City Schools Assistant Superintendent Susan Gunnell said the district has been increasing fruit and vegetables as both a la carte offerings and as part of the plate lunch. They purchased whole-grain soft pretzels to be sold in concession stands and beginning this week will start selling fresh fruit and carrot sticks there. Milk also will be available as a beverage choice.
“We will expect our vendors to comply with the new regulations and guidelines and have found them to be proactive in meeting pending changes,” Gunnell said.
Beavercreek City Schools’ nutrition supervisor Connie Little said their effort to offer healthier options in the cafeteria “has been very well-received with the parents.”
The schools help direct students to healthier options through a traffic light program, where green is the best choice, yellow indicates the kids should choose the item only occasionally and red, rarely, she said.
“We are weeding out all of the red and putting in the yellows and greens.”
Staff writers Jeremy P. Kelley, Lawrence Budd and Cornelius Frolik contributed to this report.
Permalink | Comments (9) | Post your comment | Categories: School lunches
Tweet
