For now, the School Board renews a contract with Coca-Cola, but members prefer its juice and water to soda for kids.
By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK
Published February 19, 2004
BROOKSVILLE - Sodas could disappear from Hernando County's school vending machines as early as next fall.
The School Board reached this informal position Tuesday as it debated whether to renew a five-year deal that gave Coca-Cola Enterprises exclusive access to sell beverages on the district's 19 campuses and its other business centers.
After nearly 90 minutes, the board approved the new contract, unwilling to allow the existing agreement to lapse and see machines pulled from schools while classes remain in session. But board members signaled their intent to use a 30-day, no-cause escape clause if the district cannot get what it wants from Coke.
"We have a chance here to take a step toward offering our students a more healthy (selection) of soft drinks," board member Robert Wiggins said, suggesting that the machines should include pure fruit juice and water only.
Vice Chairman Jim Malcolm, who initiated the discussion two weeks ago, agreed.
"My ultimate goal is to do away with those," he said, referring to caffeinated and carbonated drinks.
Originally, Malcolm sought to extend the Coke contract for 180 days. He wanted to use the intervening months to research questions surrounding nutrition, revenue sources, competitive bidding and other issues related to the sales of soft drinks in the schools.
But board attorney Karen Gaffney squelched that idea, advising that the agreement had no provisions for an extension. The board could either renew for five years or allow the deal to end, she said.
Gaffney added that if the board decided to materially change the terms of the contract, it would have to cancel with Coke and seek new bids for the service. Just revamping the content of vending machines might not require a new deal, she said, because the original bid referred to the Coca-Cola "family of products."
Coke sells Minute Maid juices, Dasani Water and Fruitopia drinks, among others, in addition to its trademark sodas.
"You don't have to invite all the family members?" asked board member Gail David, who pressed for an immediate rebid.
"Apparently not," Gaffney responded, adding that she wanted to further review all the documents before making a final recommendation.
Coca-Cola representative Dudley Hampton told the board he would support whatever direction it takes.
"There is a choice. It's your choice," Hampton said. "I respect what it is you want to do. You can extend this contract and cancel it at any time you want. If that's what we need to do to get you where you want to get as a board, to decide what drinks - if any - you want to have in the schools, we will do that."
Board member John Druzbick urged his colleagues to move on the contract now and they can come back later and make changes.
"Obviously, this is not going away," Druzbick said of the push to remove sodas. "If this goes beyond a year, it's the board's fault."
The board first gave Coke exclusive "pouring rights" in 1999. The goal at that time was to increase revenue for scoreboards, scholarships, computer software and student awards that the county otherwise might not be able to afford.
Over five years, the company provided about $853,000 in cash and donations to the schools.
When the time came to reconsider the contract this year, though, the mood about sodas in schools had changed, both in Hernando County, across the nation and in Canada.
The American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy statement in January advocating that school districts restrict the sales of soft drinks to protect children from the health problems that come from overconsumption. Also that month, soda companies voluntarily agreed to remove sodas from elementary and middle schools in Canada, under mounting public concerns about children's poor diet.
Early in February, the Philadelphia school system banned sodas.
Income streams, still important, had taken a back seat to health matters.
Parent Erika Reif of Spring Hill asked the Hernando board members to keep children's well-being foremost in their minds.
The board should stop trading health for scoreboards, Reif said during Tuesday's community comment session.
"Politely decline to do business with soft drink sales people who say without twitching, "We believe all of our products can be part of a healthy and well-balanced diet,' " she said.
