Some are fed up with sweet deals that bring junk food to students. Schools may be forced to tighten their belts.
By STEPHEN HEGARTY
Published December 15, 2003
[Times photo: Michael Rondou]
Boca Ciega High principal John Leanes shares a laugh with sophomore Queen Walls, 16. Walls said she would go for fruit but wouldn't touch yogurt, if they were available in the school's vending machines.
ST. PETERSBURG - Rushing between classes at Boca Ciega High School, freshman Santosha Mosley stops at a big, red vending machine, drops in three quarters and scoops out a bag of Skittles.
"It gives me energy," she says as she pops a few candy bits in her mouth. "I know it's all sugar, but it helps me get through class."
Soon, Santosha, 14, won't have Skittles to help her get through the day - at least not from campus vending machines.
Boca Ciega principal John Leanes is going to clear out the machines full of chips and candy and replace them with refrigerated vending machines full of fruit, sandwiches and yogurt. The machines that dispense soda along with fruit drinks and water will remain.
"When I look at all the non-nutritional stuff we have in those snack machines, I don't mind losing the revenue," said Leanes, who plans to change the vending machines over winter break. "This is the right thing to do."
Some Florida lawmakers want to force all principals to clear out their junk food. It's part of a statewide effort to offer kids healthier food and encourage them to become more fit.
One bill would fine a school up to $500 for selling non-nutritional snacks or drinks to students. Another bill would require a half-hour of physical education for elementary schoolchildren. And in a sign of the times, that same bill would require nutrition-related questions on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.
"That's the only way we can guarantee that they would teach it," said Sen. Gwen Margolis, D-Miami Beach, sponsor of one of two bills related to student health.
The statewide health kick seeks to counteract longstanding trends in schools, which make extra money selling the candy, chips and soft drinks that students crave.
"That is an issue because we do make money off those sales," said Julie Janssen, the principal at Countryside High School in Clearwater, who will soon be taking the top job at St. Petersburg High.
She said vending machine sales have helped the school buy such basics as desks and chairs for the cafeteria. Still, Janssen agrees that schools need to offer healthier food. She is joining Leanes in eliminating some snack machines and introducing new machines with healthier food.
Some school districts also bring in significant revenue through exclusive contracts with beverage companies. Earlier this year, Hillsborough County schools signed a 12-year, $50-million contract to sell only Pepsi products. The Pasco County school district also has a deal with Pepsi. The Hernando County schools have a deal with Coca-Cola.
In Pinellas County, individual schools work out their own beverage deals. Boca Ciega High, for instance, has a five-year deal with Coca-Cola. Leanes estimates the school makes about $50,000 a year through beverage sales.
Another big financial question is whether students will buy the low-fat, low-sugar offerings.
Rep. Frank Farkas, R-St. Petersburg, thinks they will.
"If a student is hungry or thirsty, they want to buy something. If all we offer is healthy choices, they'll buy that," said Farkas, who has filed a bill that would limit the types of beverages that can be sold on school campuses.
He might be right.
"I would love that," said Jonathan Carter, a senior at Boca Ciega High. As a wrestler, Jonathan, 18, needs to watch his weight, and the typical fare in the snack machines "would kill me. I would eat it if they had healthier food in there."
But some students like the snacks just the way they are.
"I like the sugar," said Shavae McNair, a sophomore at Boca Ciega High who bought a Honey Bun during a break between classes.
Shavae, 16, is in the medical magnet program: "I know about nutrition, but still, that's what I like to eat."
Farkas' bill doesn't go as far as Margolis', a sign of the variety of opinion even among those who want healthier foods.
Farkas isn't interested in levying fines and isn't sure about putting nutrition questions on the FCAT. But in one form or another, he says, laws will change in the coming year.
Margolis acknowledges that school officials and her colleagues might question whether her bills go too far. But she thinks the fines are necessary to ensure compliance.
"Our children's habits have been changing, and we need to address that," Margolis said. "They might eat non-nutritional snacks anyway, but we don't have to sell it to them to make a profit.
"I'm sure there will be a lot of debate. This is a subject I'll enjoy debating."
