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Students attending any Fallon school next year will not be able to purchase junk food on campus that does not meet certain state guidelines for fat, sugar and salt content, including products sold by students for fund-raisers and vending machine soda.
The Nevada Board of Education recently adopted a policy to restrict certain foods at schools to address the growing problem of obesity in children. By the 2007 school year, the state also mandates that every student have 30 minutes of physical exercise each day.
Churchill County School Board Trustees were given an overview Thursday of how the new regulations will affect area schools, especially the junior high school and high school.
Both schools have exclusive contracts with Pepsi-Cola to sell sodas on campus. The school is allowed to keep some of the proceeds from sales. In addition, the company provided a billboard at the high school to announce school events.
Michele Russell, office manager secretary at CCHS, said the new rules will have a profound effect on high school clubs and groups that use money from the sales of food items and vending machines to finance their activities.
"We've got a lot of fund-raisers at the high school. You're looking at lots and lots of money," she said. "In the student store we make a lot of money that helps student activities."
Trustee Paul Hinz agreed.
"These Coke machines generate a lot of revenue," he said.
The mandated policy will limit total fat content to 30 percent; saturated fats to 10 percent; sodium at no more than 600 mg per serving; and sugars are limited to no more than 35 percent by weight per serving.
Carbonated beverages, frozen or sweetened water ices, chewing gum and certain candy are also banned under the guidelines.
Food Service Manager Dawn Rodriquez said there are no vending machines at the district's elementary schools, and the younger children do not have access to a wide range of foods that are nutritionally deficient.
"Elementary students are served on a tray and they can make a fruit and vegetable choice," she said.
At the secondary schools, students can choose from an ala carte menu, which includes pizza, burritos, egg rolls, nachos, bagels, ice cream and other snack items. The older pupils can also purchase soda, cookies and other snacks from vending machines on campus.
The new rules will not affect school lunches served in the cafeteria because those meals must already federal nutritional guidelines.
Donnell Barton, director of the office of child nutrition and school health for the Nevada Department of Education, said the statewide school wellness policy has was implemented in Clark County a year ago.
She said Clark County suffered a substantial financial loss last year when it banned junk food in the schools but the situation is improving.
"There was a loss that first year when they switched out vending machines. They have seen an increase this year," she said. "The kids are getting use to these type products. Our hope is you will bounce back but the first year is going to be rough."
Barton said a pizza restaurant at first opted out of providing slices of the pie in Clark County. This year, she said, Pizza Hut developed a recipe that meets the new nutritional guidelines. She said vending companies, including the soda providers, realize changes are inevitable and will adjust their product contents if they want to continue selling them at schools.
There are some exceptions to the regulations. Student groups can sell food items 30 minutes before school and 30 minutes after school. The guidelines do not apply to food served in class in conjunction with religious holidays, birthday parties or as part of an educational lesson.
The Churchill County School District is forming a wellness committee to study how the state law will be implemented. The group will first meet in December with the new policy ready to go to the board in March.
The Nevada Board of Education recently adopted a policy to restrict certain foods at schools to address the growing problem of obesity in children. By the 2007 school year, the state also mandates that every student have 30 minutes of physical exercise each day.
Churchill County School Board Trustees were given an overview Thursday of how the new regulations will affect area schools, especially the junior high school and high school.
Both schools have exclusive contracts with Pepsi-Cola to sell sodas on campus. The school is allowed to keep some of the proceeds from sales. In addition, the company provided a billboard at the high school to announce school events.
Michele Russell, office manager secretary at CCHS, said the new rules will have a profound effect on high school clubs and groups that use money from the sales of food items and vending machines to finance their activities.
"We've got a lot of fund-raisers at the high school. You're looking at lots and lots of money," she said. "In the student store we make a lot of money that helps student activities."
Trustee Paul Hinz agreed.
"These Coke machines generate a lot of revenue," he said.
The mandated policy will limit total fat content to 30 percent; saturated fats to 10 percent; sodium at no more than 600 mg per serving; and sugars are limited to no more than 35 percent by weight per serving.
Carbonated beverages, frozen or sweetened water ices, chewing gum and certain candy are also banned under the guidelines.
Food Service Manager Dawn Rodriquez said there are no vending machines at the district's elementary schools, and the younger children do not have access to a wide range of foods that are nutritionally deficient.
"Elementary students are served on a tray and they can make a fruit and vegetable choice," she said.
At the secondary schools, students can choose from an ala carte menu, which includes pizza, burritos, egg rolls, nachos, bagels, ice cream and other snack items. The older pupils can also purchase soda, cookies and other snacks from vending machines on campus.
The new rules will not affect school lunches served in the cafeteria because those meals must already federal nutritional guidelines.
Donnell Barton, director of the office of child nutrition and school health for the Nevada Department of Education, said the statewide school wellness policy has was implemented in Clark County a year ago.
She said Clark County suffered a substantial financial loss last year when it banned junk food in the schools but the situation is improving.
"There was a loss that first year when they switched out vending machines. They have seen an increase this year," she said. "The kids are getting use to these type products. Our hope is you will bounce back but the first year is going to be rough."
Barton said a pizza restaurant at first opted out of providing slices of the pie in Clark County. This year, she said, Pizza Hut developed a recipe that meets the new nutritional guidelines. She said vending companies, including the soda providers, realize changes are inevitable and will adjust their product contents if they want to continue selling them at schools.
There are some exceptions to the regulations. Student groups can sell food items 30 minutes before school and 30 minutes after school. The guidelines do not apply to food served in class in conjunction with religious holidays, birthday parties or as part of an educational lesson.
The Churchill County School District is forming a wellness committee to study how the state law will be implemented. The group will first meet in December with the new policy ready to go to the board in March.
