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E-mail Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2011 > January > 14 > Entry
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
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By Lea
January 18, 2011 12:12 PM | Link to this
A hundred years ago, all children TOOK THEIR LUNCH to school. If they went. Put it back on the parents!
By Spare the rod....
January 17, 2011 11:15 AM | Link to this
Schools need to focus on their real responsibility and remember what and who they are there for. Their job is no longer to educate to create a self sufficient member of society,but to indocrinate to a certain political beleif, feed and clothe the children. Oh yeah, that’s no longer the responsibility of parents. In the land of the modern liberal, parents are just surrogates. Its is the school’s responsibility to create weak minded, entitlement seeking obedient little robots. Can’t no longer expect anything out of the parents. If parents cannot properly feed their children, maybe they shouldn’t have them. Bring back ophanages. All the schools and their liberal policies do is create a non-producing, dependent society. Call me names, but you can’t deny the obvious lack of positive results.
By Paul
January 16, 2011 12:25 PM | Link to this
Sorry, not buying it. Maybe we need to replace our leadership in this area with someone with fresh idea and who things outside-the-box. It seems to me that if All schools are asking for the same thing…less sodium, whole grain buns, etc… the demand for those items will Increase, which Lowers the cost. Maybe they need new food suppliers too. Maybe the current suppliers have taken this business for granted, and someone new will be more willing to reduce prices?
By DMK
January 16, 2011 10:27 AM | Link to this
I can see where this is going. Let’s go back to the taxpayer and put a levy on the ballot to pay for this one. Here is an idea. Comply with the Supreme Court Ruling and give the taxpayers relief by finding another way other than property tax to fund schools. Eliminate all the unfunded mandates from the state and Feds and get back to the basics of education. Schools are for education not a social club.
By Papagino
January 16, 2011 7:11 AM | Link to this
“Healthy Lunches will cost more, but who will pay?” IS this not the dumbest thing you have ever heard? Who pays? It should be the parents. Jeeze what a stupid question.
By Daytonian
January 15, 2011 1:59 PM | Link to this
Perhaps ‘what a world’ should attend college and pursue an actual career. That would allow her to not be jealous as to what other people have earned and are earning. Envy really does damage your heart and your appearance.
By Maxwell Powers
January 15, 2011 12:45 PM | Link to this
Better suggestion: start school at 5 am, run ‘till 11:30, then GO HOME to have your lunch. Do away with lunch programs altogether.
By John
January 14, 2011 3:54 PM | Link to this
23 cents. Healthy food vs. junk food. This is for the health and welfare of our children. Exactly what area “school districts” concerned about. If the football team needs new helmets there fund raiser. Seems to me we can find the money somewhere.
By what a world
January 14, 2011 1:58 PM | Link to this
maybe the czar at kettering schools can help out with the cost. they have all the money in the world to make sure that man is rich but not enough for decent kids lunches