DEL.ICIO.USFeds to Clayton schools: Ditch junk food or forfeit $14 million
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Monday, November 03, 2008
Sports teams and band boosters will no longer sell Chick-fil-A sandwiches or pizza during school hours in Clayton County schools.
Nor cookies or sodas. Locks have been placed on all vending machines during the hours classes are in session. And candy fund-raisers between classes are definitely out of the question.
Teachers even were told not to hand out candy for Halloween during classes.
Clayton County schools have until Friday to rid their campuses of junk food during school hours or they face losing $14.8 million in federal funding.
“In order to protect ourselves and follow federal guidelines, we have to do this,” Clayton schools spokesman Charles White said. “We have to make sure we don’t lose any money.”
In June 2006, the U.S. Department of Agriculture banned non-nutritious breakfasts and lunches from schools as a requirement for schools to receive money under the National School Lunch Program. The USDA provides $37 million to Clayton to serve breakfast and lunch to about 74 percent of the district’s 50,000 students.
In January 2007, the USDA threatened to withhold 40 percent of the money when state and federal officials discovered Chick-fil-A sandwiches being sold during lunch at Mount Zion and Mundy’s Mill high schools.
Last winter, inspectors returned for a second visit and found Mount Zion High School was still breaking the rules, said Matt Cardoza, a spokesman for the Georgia Department of Education. Chick-fil-A employees were selling sandwiches and sharing the profits with a student organization.
Chick-fil-A spokesman Jerry Johnston said he did not have any information about the Clayton sales but said the company works with many schools in the Atlanta metro area. He said the company wants to make sure they follow all school guidelines.
The National School Lunch Program requires schools to meet specific nutritional standards. Meals must include a meat or meal substitute, milk, grain and two vegetables or fruits, said Debbie L. Haston-Hilger, spokeswoman for the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. Pizza and fried chicken are allowed at lunch, as long as they are not served every day.
Federal regulations allow other foods — such as Chick-fil-A — to be sold during school hours, as long as all of the proceeds go to the school or student organizations, Haston-Hilger said.
However candy, soda or other food of “minimal nutrition value” are prohibited.
Clayton is in the process of implementing a correction action plan, which must be sent to the state Department of Education by Friday, Cardoza said.
White said Clayton schools are trying to be “extra careful,” and that’s why they have prohibited Chick-fil-A from being sold at schools at all, even if the proceeds are going to student groups.
White said the policy allows students to sell candy, pizza and other snacks after school. Locks are removed from vending machines after the final bell rings, giving athletes and other students access to snacks after school.
“It has taken us awhile to get this cleaned up,” White said. “But we’re now in compliance.”
Atlanta’s public schools also prohibit outside food from being sold during school hours, but allow groups to sell snacks 30 minutes after classes end, spokesman Joe Manguno said. Atlanta schools also restrict vending machine drinks and snacks to after school hours. Marietta city schools have similar policies, a spokesman said. Other school districts in the metro area did respond to e-mail requests seeking their policies.
The Georgia Department of Education said other schools have been cited for selling junk food, but no one has lost federal funding for their meals.
Clayton parents and students say they are unaware of the new policy and that unhealthy snacks continue to be sold in their schools.
“My kids don’t eat candy, because I taught them what to eat,” said Jonesboro mother Linda Smith. “It should be up to the parents what their children eat.”
Smith said her daughter, a senior at Jonesboro High, sold candy during school hours several weeks ago through the Future Business Leaders of America club. She said those sales are necessary to help pay for club trips, extracurricular activities dues and sports uniforms.
Shalonda Durham, a senior at Jonesboro High, said she wishes her school had Chick-fil-A sandwiches or other options at lunch.
“I don’t eat at school because the food is not good,” the student said. “They sometimes give us leftovers, and I don’t think that’s healthy.”
Services »
Comments
By Speak2Me
Dec 3, 2008 1:05 PM | Link to this
I truly believe there is DEEP, DEEP consipracy going on from our STATE level targeting Clayton county. It's always something reported negatively about Clayton...Why is this...is it because we have the lowest tax property value and that we have alot of property available (you know those idiots that left their homes when media told us our schools will not be accredited). I'm a Clayton resident of 11 years and I'm a very active member in my neighborhood. There's much development that is to take place between now and 2012 (take a look at Clayton County future developments under our county website). Now what is the quickest way to get land w/o paying the cost... SCARE TACTICS. Do anyone remember how they went about 15 years ago in the city of Atlanta. Please people, wake up, stop believing what the media is putting out!! Start reading the facts...CLAYTON COUNTY HAS VALUABLE LAND. We are the closest county to the Airport development plans...
By Speak2Me
Dec 3, 2008 1:01 PM | Link to this
I truly believe there is DEEP, DEEP consipracy going on from our STATE level targeting Clayton county. It's always something reported negatively about Clayton...Why is this...is it because we have the lowest tax property value and that we have alot of property available (you know those idiots that left their homes when media told us our schools will not be accredited). I'm a Clayton resident of 11 years and I'm a very active member in my neighborhood. There's much development that is to take place between now and 2012 (take a look at Clayton County future developments under our county website). Now what is the quickest way to get land w/o paying the cost... SCARE TACTICS. Do anyone remember how they went about 15 years ago in the city of Atlanta. Please people, wake up, stop believing what the media is putting out!! Start reading the facts...CLAYTON COUNTY HAS VALUABLE LAND. We are the closest county to the Airport development plans...
By current teacher
Nov 5, 2008 3:12 PM | Link to this
I think Clayton County Schools are unfairly being targeted. There are kids to eat school lunch daily and don't have the money for snacks or ChickFila biscuits. Since, schools have a high number of students recieving free/reduced lunch, it makes sense to try to sell things that kids will buy to raise money. How else can we get money for trips and activities. We certainally can't count on the parents. They don't even show for parent teacher nights! This is a capitalist society, students should be free to buy whatever they want. The school lunches are not the healthiest choices around anyway!
By former teacher
Nov 4, 2008 1:46 PM | Link to this
I worked in Clayton for two years and left in one of the many mass exodus. The cokes and candy are a problem. Kids drink the cokes and have the sugar highs and lows all day. This makes it so hard for the teachers. In a society where 70% of our children are obese, these issues need to be addressed. However, I do think that the sugar issue in this school system, at this point, should be the least of their worries.
By angrymom
Nov 4, 2008 10:56 AM | Link to this
people on welfare should not be allowed 'luxuries' such as ipods, cigarettes, expensive jewelry, etc. they should spend the money 'given' to them for food and shelter. after all, isn't that what the program is all about?
yes, i agree, they have become 'privileged' and accept welfare as a way of life. it's sad that we've created this society.
now they have to be told how to eat properly. shame on the democrats. that's what they want all along. ... a system where they control the population. they want to spread the wealth, only because they want to control the thinking and the working class, too.
there are too many level of bureaucracy in the school system, if anyone ever had to "ask" permission to do anything. no one wants to take responsibility for their action, everything is mandated, everyone says they're just abiding by the rules........
no one is allowed to think any more. kids spend way too much time standing in the hallway waiting to go from one place or another, in silence.
and if you ask around, you'll find that most teachers send their kids to private schools. i find that so amusing.
wake up, america.
By Jaycee
Nov 4, 2008 12:50 AM | Link to this
The USDA honestly thinks that the schools are serving nutritious lunches!! That's a joke. No wonder the kids want to eat Chick-fil-A. I have taught in several Henry County schools and the lunches are disgusting. I'm sure they are in most other school districts too. The veggies are always mushy and bland. The kids just eat the pitiful meat and bread and throw the veggies in the trash. I forgot my lunch one day and had to buy a lunch. It was a chicken stir fry that made me gag after the first bite. I threw all of it in the trash and bought some crackers out of desperation.
By sue
Nov 3, 2008 8:51 PM | Link to this
Watchdog, how right you are about the axe to grind. Can you say N.R.? For the 20 plus years I've been in Clayton they were able to have ice cream at lunch. Now all of a sudden it is illegal but only in Clayton County? But if you look at the USDA website and the State website ice cream is exempt from the "minimally nutrition" rule. Have you seen or eaten a school lunch lately. It used to be all fresh, homemade food. Now it is nothing but processed junk. My child takes his lunch. I don't see anything wrong with ice cream once in awhile and I resent being told how to raise my child. We all know processed food is not healthy. We can sell vanilla or strawberry flavored milk that is nothing but sugar but we can't sell ice cream???? Makes no sense. Check around with other counties. No other county has been told to stop selling ice cream or bisquits. Again, can you say N.R.? My child's school sold chicken bisquits on Friday mornings only, not everyday. I wasn't forced to buy them. It was "MY" choice. I think we all need to send our children with sack lunches for a week and no one purchase a school lunch and see what happens.
By watchdog
Nov 3, 2008 7:00 PM | Link to this
As many people stated, Clayton County Schools are not doing anything different than hundreds of other schools are doing. Somebody should look closer as to why this is focused at Clayton County? Who on the state level has all this "inside" information? Could there be someone with an "axe to grind" against CCPS? Makes you think a little bit???
By zoemol
Nov 3, 2008 3:28 PM | Link to this
All Clayton Schools are Title I- this is based on the percentage of students that qualify for free and or reduced lunch. So yes, at least 70% or more students in Clayton are receiving some kind of assistance to pay for lunch. Now whether the students need it or not is another story!
Title I invites fraud
However, this is going to be a major issue for the various activities within the system. In other systems, parents help with the fundraising, in Clayton, it is pretty much all on the students and it is VERY difficult to find creative ways to raise money. This is going to result in fewer and fewer sponsors of activities because the sponsors do not want to pay for needed items out of their pockets.
By zoemol
Nov 3, 2008 3:26 PM | Link to this
All Clayton Schools are Title I- this is based on the percentage of students that qualify for free and or reduced lunch. So yes, at least 70% or more students in Clayton are receiving some kind of assistance to pay for lunch. Now whether the students need it or not is another story!
Title I invites fraud
However, this is going to be a major issue for the various activities within the system. In other systems, parents help with the fundraising, in Clayton, it is pretty much all on the students and it is VERY difficult to find creative ways to raise money. This is going to result in fewer and fewer sponsors of activities because the sponsors do not want to pay for needed items out of their pockets.
[1 2 3 4] next
Commenting is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-F, except on Tuesday when it's open until 9 p.m.
Post a comment
*HTML not allowed in comments. Your e-mail address is required.
Request a comment be removed