By Lori Bledsoe
For The Alpine Sun

     ALPINE — Food service staff in Alpine and Back Country school districts are bracing for the change in nutrition standards that must be implemented in future months — and school-based clubs worry that they may be forced to give up such fund-raising staples as candy bars and cookie dough.
     Over the past three years, legislators have been trying to battle sagging nutritional standards by implementing laws that limit any foods and beverages that do not meet nutrition standards. Emphasis has been placed on reducing childhood obesity, instead of feeding it.
     SB 19 called for all districts in California to establish healthy nutrition standards for all food and beverages available to our students by January of 2004.
     On Sept. 15, 2005, however, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed SB 12 and SB 965, establishing what is being called the most rigorous nutrition standards in the country for foods and beverages sold on public school campuses. 
     According to the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, SB 965 bans sales of soda on high school campuses. Similar standards had already been established for elementary and middle schools through SB 677. Half of beverages sold on high school campuses must meet these standards by July 1, 2007. All beverages sold on high school campuses must meet these standards by July 1, 2009.
     SB 12 is a stringent law dictating that all foods must comply with the nutrition standards if sold or supplied anywhere on school campuses outside the school meal program.
     This bill establishes limits on fat and sugar content as well as portion size, effective July 1, 2007.
While SB 19 regulates what is being served on public school campuses, SB 12 actually affects all foods sold a la carte, in vending machines, in school stores or as part of any school fund-raisers — and thereby creates some impacts to such school-based clubs as PTA, and ASB.
     The new laws place severe restrictions on what may be sold by the students to raise money for their schools. Many fund-raising activities have long included sales of cookie dough, See’s candy, Krispy Kreme Donuts, and Sally Foster items, as well as snack and candy access machines or boxes that will no longer be allowable under SB 12. The impact on the students as well as the ability of campus PTAs to raise funds for our schools could be extensive — and this concerns many.

Local schools
     Schools have had some time to implement the new law’s strategies. Both Alpine Union School District and Mountain Empire Unified School District have created “wellness committees,” whose task is to plan how to accomplish their new goals.
     Mountain Empire schools have already implemented many policies encompassed in SB 12 and SB 965. Marilyn Bailey, who supervises the nutrition program in Mountain Empire, has been supplying students with low-fat, low sugar food: “The kids haven’t even noticed that the cookies being served are now reduced fat,” she said
     Dr. Lori Mitchell, a pediatrician from the Southern Health Council in Campo, also serves on the Mountain Empire Wellness Committee, and said she is very concerned for children’s nutritional education and access. Mitchell states, “I have witnessed the problem of our children becoming more and more overweight, and I felt I had to get involved.” The Mountain Empire Wellness Committee will be hosting a Health Fair to coincide with an open house to help inform families about the new laws.
     AUSD board member, Ann Pierce who also serves on the AUSD Wellness Committee said, “These laws will benefit us in the long run because they will give us a more holistic approach to our nutrition, as well as how we feed our children.”
     The AUSD Wellness Committee was formed in September of this school year to review and revamp the district’s approach to food service as well as student physical activity. It is responsible for drafting Board Policy 5030, which covers the development, implementation, monitoring and review of district-wide nutrition and physical activity.
     The committee must ensure that school meals comply with nutritional standards, as well as snacks sold in vending machines, or fund-raisers.

School fund-raising
     Charlene Brown, Alpine parent and involved PTA member, states, “Sally Foster, who just started to offer the cookie dough program, is one of the major fund-raising programs that help pay for activities such as 6th grade camp.” she said.
     “Because of this, the cookie dough program will no longer be able to be used. Mountain View Learning Academy/ANSA earned approximately $800 alone for the school by selling cookie dough, and these funds will no longer be able to be raised in this manner.”
     Mountain Empire’s ASB is concerned for its student store. Dr. Mitchell said the items offered in the store will have to change to comply with the new laws.
     Though the ASB is concerned that its revenues will drop because they will no longer be offering candy and other junk food items, they have been offered hope. On a recent field trip by the Mountain Empire Wellness Committee to the Vista School District, students found that the Vista School student store is actually having improved revenues after the implementation of healthier venues.

Parent-supplied treats
     Also under scrutiny are celebrations that take place in classrooms. Such celebrations are to be limited to three a year, as the new nutritional laws also affect what parents bring to the classroom.
     AUSD Superintendent Greg Ryan said, “You have to remember, when you have a classroom of 20 or 30 kids, if everyone brought in cupcakes for their child’s birthday, we would be giving kids cupcakes in class all the time. This is not to say that all children would bring in treats for their birthdays, but even half of the class doing this in conjunction with all the parties that people want to have for holidays...candy given out for rewards...we find ourselves adding to the problem.” 
     In fact, the 2004 Shadow Hills Student Handbook includes a request for parents not to supply food or treats to the classroom.
     Whether or not the new laws will impact school-sponsored events, such as the schools’ fall festivals, remains to be seen. But, Ryan said, there is some flexibility in the laws, and the wellness committee is looking at every aspect.
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