Pop sales, which provide a source of extra funding for Ohio's public schools, could be limited if the Ohio General Assembly passes a bill that puts students' health first.
Under the proposed bill, pop sales would be restricted in middle schools and high schools, and nutritional standards would be established for foods sold in elementary schools, said Rep. Barbara Sykes, D-Akron, who is sponsoring the bill.
It benefits them from a health standpoint
she said. It allows them to start making good choices.
While children's health is a concern, school officials also worry about where to find extra funding. Many school districts sign contracts with bottling companies in order to buy supplemental supplies and pay for student activities, said Greg Holbert, principal of Alexander High School.
Alexander School District's revenue from pop sales varies each year, but last school year all vending machine sales - including pop, juice and snacks - totaled $30,000, said Edna Stalder, Alexander School District treasurer.
The district has a contract with Pepsi, and pop machines are located in all of the schools. Those in the elementary school are not accessible to the children, she said.
Holbert said the high school's vending machines have a variety of drinks, including sports drinks, water, juice and pop. Drinks are on sale all day, excluding lunch periods.
Most students make purchases after school, but students probably would be angry if they did not have the opportunity to purchase them during school. At the high school level, most students simply would bring pop from home, he said.
Certainly I'm for students making healthy choices in what they consume but it will significantly hurt funds that we use for student programs
he said. So it's a Catch-22.
Sykes acknowledges the same underlying problem of poor funding plaguing public schools, and she said the bill would limit pop sales to one-half hour before and after school.
Recognize that Pepsi and Coke also make juice; they also bottle water
she said. These can still be their products
and so
I'm not against the vending machines in the schools. I'm just saying what we're putting into the machines (needs changed).
Athens City Schools already have removed pop vending machines from school buildings. The measure sends a message to students that educators are concerned about their health, said Janalee Stock, Athens City Schools' nurse.
I know of at least one study that has been done that shows a correlation between weight gain and pop - (pop consumption) has gone up 300 percent in the past twenty years
Stock said.
Schools with pop still in their vending machines could face a challenge if this bill passes, she said.
I hope that to compliment (the bill)
the governor will begin to work toward real solutions of school systems
Stock said. This is definitely tied into the whole area of contracts with pop companies. The whole problem is that our schools are under-funded
and the contracts with the companies bring in significant revenue. I don't feel confident it will pass.
A study done in Minneapolis, Minn., found that when school-vending machines include juice and water as choices, children are more likely to purchase those beverages, and there was no great loss to vending machine sales, Sykes said.
She said this is one step toward healthier eating habits among children because the price that children are paying to have these vending machines is too costly.
In Ohio, this is an immediate problem.
Out of all the cities in the country
