New federal school lunch program regulations have Marie Wickersham concerned. Wickersham heads the Food Service Department for the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District.
She told school board directors during the June 9 work session that high school students are increasingly dissatisfied with the meals the schools are providing and that participation in the lunch program is decreasing. She wants the board to opt out of following newer standards that are more restrictive.
Opting out would only be for Unionville High School, not the middle school or the elementary schools, she said.
While the district would lose reimbursement money, that would be offset by an increase in the number of high school students buying lunches that they actually like.
“As guidelines become more strict, we lose participation,” Wickersham told the board.
During the 2011-2012 academic year, 32 percent of UHS students bought lunches at the school, Wickersham said. However, that dropped to 26 percent the following year after the district opted into the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act.
That act, prompted by Michelle Obama’s initiative to fight childhood obesity, set new standards for meals served at school. It decreased the portions of meat and grains while increasing portion sizes for fruits and vegetables. It also eliminated milk products containing fat and set a minimum/maximum for calories.
Even stricter regulations are scheduled to take place next year, Wickersham said. She estimates participation at the high school level would drop to 24 percent under the stricter guidelines.
“It’s not good nutrition if kids won’t eat it,” she said.
New standards about to go into effect set sodium limits and require all grain products — such as pasta, breads and pretzels — be made from whole grains. Additionally, food products sold at schools during a fund-raising bake sale must also conform to the standards.
“[The new standards are] not in the best interest of the community,” she said.
She added that her department would continue to provide meal options that fit the HHFKA including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and offer other nutrient dense meal options that follow the Dietary Guidelines for Healthy Americans.
“We don’t serve junk food…We have a good wellness policy that meets the needs of the community,” she said.
There is also educational value in opting out, she said. High school students can’t learn to be wise consumers unless they have a choice.
The new standards are scheduled to go into effect on July 1, Wickersham said, and she wants the board to vote on the matter at its June 16 meeting.
School Board President Vic Dupuis said other districts have already decided not to follow the new guidelines. He also said he’s aware that many students go to the nearby Landhope Farm store to buy food they like, rather than buy from the cafeteria.
About Rich Schwartzman
Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.
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