Hopkins School Board Picks Nutrition Over Profits

Hopkins Public Schools has decided to put its money where its mouth is when it comes to school nutrition.

On Thursday, the board approved a nutrition policy that explicitly puts healthy food choices ahead of profit considerations when developing the school nutrition program.

“The student meal programs shall aim to be financially self-supporting,” the new policy states. “However, the program is an essential educational support activity. Budget neutrality or profit generation shall not take precedence over the nutritional needs of the students.”

The new policy largely institutionalizes practices already in effect. The district has already culled sales of soda, most sugary treats and other unhealthy items from schools.

But insisting on healthy and more expensive foods even when it cuts into profits could have real financial impacts. During the 2006-07 school year, the district made about $800,000 from à la carte sales, said Barb Mechura, the district’s food and nutrition services director. In the summer of 2007, the district pulled remaining items that it deemed unhealthy—including sports drinks, large dessert bars and snacks like Doritos. Revenue has since dropped to the $500,000 to $600,000 range.

“We’ve really reduced what we sold in that area,” she said.

The cookies the district sells offer a good look at why that happens. It switched to one-ounce, whole-wheat cookies that are half the size of the old cookies. Students like them less and buy fewer cookies.

“But I’m OK with that,” Mechura said.

The nutrition program currently breaks even and repays the district for utility use, but forgoing high-profit, low-nutritional value snacks makes that harder to maintain. Nik Lightfoot, the district’s director of administrative services, said it’s not uncommon for other districts to turn to unhealthy items in financially challenging times.

School Board Director Steve Adams emphasized that directors should be ready to stand by their decision: “This is, I think, a prime example of where board policy does have a bottom line impact, and we’ve got to be ready to step up to the plate.”

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