Posted on Thu, Mar. 09, 2006
District may go for junk-food jugular
Santa Clara Unified Could Ban Unhealthful Fare at All School Events, Groups Howl

By Becky Bartindale

Mercury News http://www.mercurynews.com

It's one thing to ban the sale of soda, candy and potato chips in school lunch lines.

But what happens when a local school district tries to outlaw selling -- or even giving away -- popular high-fat, sugar-rich foods 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on all campuses?

Santa Clara Unified School District trustees are about to find out.

They are considering a policy that would bar birthday cupcakes in class, fatty hot dogs at sporting events and PTA bake sales. Candy and cookie-dough fundraisers would be verboten. And for those who get thirsty, think water, juice and low-fat milk.

``What it means, basically, is no junk foods,'' said Roger Barnes, the district's business administrator. Students could bring what they want from home, but only for themselves.

The community members and school employees who proposed the new policy say it represents a valiant effort to improve students' health and curb childhood obesity. But some students and parents say they deserve the chance to make their own choices. School booster and parent organizations worry it will cut into the tens of thousands of dollars they raise through food sales, which fund a host of things, including band uniforms, athletic tournament fees, stage sets and school movie nights.

The proposed rules are based on nutrition standards California will require during the school day in all grades beginning next year. Recent laws extend a ban on sodas from lower grades to high schools, and limit calories, fat and sugar content of food that may be served at school.

But the Santa Clara district is taking the healthy diet movement one step further: enforcing the new nutrition standards at all times. Representatives of booster and parent-teacher groups are expected to turn out in force at a study session tonight to ask the school board to ratchet back the rules. A decision will be made at a later meeting.

``Like me, everybody supported the school-day thing,'' said Santa Clara High School Principal Brad Syth. ``But when it went to 24/7, it took on a whole new life.''

Proponents of better school nutrition, including Jack O'Connell, California's superintendent of public instruction, point to a link between healthy food and academic performance. They say campuses that have gotten rid of junk food during the school day are reporting higher test scores and fewer discipline problems.

``We can't educate children's brains in an unhealthy body,'' said Phyllis Bramson-Paul, director of nutrition services for the California Department of Education.

Programs in peril?

At Santa Clara High School, soda sales account for about 50 percent of the athletic budget, said athletic director Tony McGilvery. And boosters contribute about $12,000 a year from concession sales.