At their last meeting, the Albemarle County School Board closed a loophole in their beverage policy that had allowed student groups and athletic boosters to sell snack bars and soft drinks. A group of students from Western Albemarle High School, concerned about nutrition issues, precipitated the change by informing School Board member Brian Wheeler of the continued sales.
The County still has soda machines set on timers that make them inactive from 6am until the end of the school day—a policy in place since 2003, according to Wheeler. No sodas are no new thing for City schools: They don’t serve any soft drinks in vending machines at any time of day. As of last year, school vending machines stock only water and 100-percent juice drinks, according to Alicia Cost, the child nutrition administrator for City schools.
The soda discussions come as both the County and City prepare their local wellness policy, a new federal requirement that all school systems had to complete by July 1.
Most aspects of the wellness policy reflect practices already in place, say City and County school officials. “The only challenge I have to deal with this summer is to create a nutrient standard manual for each school to have on hand and to analyze the menus nutritionally,” says Cost, who plans to post that information on school menus and possibly school websites. Making nutrition information available is among the wellness requirements.
For those concerned about sodas in the schools, more help is on the way: A recently settled deal between soft drink manufactures, the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association restricts the sugar and caloric content of beverages, banning sugared sodas completely and only allowing diet soda in high schools. Those guidelines (which apply both during and after school) also restrict portion size: 8 ounces in elementary, 10 ounces in middle and 12 ounces in high. That agreement stipulates full compliance by the 2009-10 school year.
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