Kentucky School District Drops Federal Lunch Program

[Purveyor]

FORT THOMAS, Ky. — Lunch at Fort Thomas Independent Schools may include more French fries, fewer vegetables and larger portions this year. One thing that won't be on the menu: federal dollars.

The Campbell County, Ky., district is opting out of the federal school lunch program, forfeiting hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding.

The reason: Kids didn't like their healthful lunches.

"The calorie limitations and types of foods that have to be provided ... have resulted in the kids just saying 'I'm not going to eat that,' " said Fort Thomas Superintendent Gene Kirchner.

The 2,800-student district joins a small but growing number of school districts across the country — mostly wealthy districts that can afford to forfeit the money — that have dropped out of the federal program in the wake of stricter nutritional standards.

Schools said students don't like the unsalted potatoes, low-fat cheese or the mandatory fruits and vegetables. They throw food away or decide not to eat at all.

more...

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/10/ky-school-district-drops-federal-lunch-program/13864145/

[MissB]

1. Our district doesn't take federal dollars either.

Hasn't for well more than a decade at least.

We are one of the wealthy districts, so we can certainly afford to turn down the federal lunch funding. The high school has selections like fresh fruit and oatmeal in the mornings and free fresh veggies (carrots, broccoli, snow peas, peppers, celery) at lunch. Lunch can be freshly made sandwiches, hummus/pita, actual pizza (not frozen), freshly made enchiladas etc. Everything is made on site each day - even the hummus and pita.

But it comes at a price. Lunches are about $5 each. No free or reduced lunch. And the free veggies are wiped out each day.

[FSogol]

4. No free or reduced lunch? What do the poor kids do in your district?

Wait, I know, they go hungry.

[MissB]

5. There generally are no kids that qualify

for free/reduced lunches. The few that did (maybe three kids in the past decade) had their lunch costs covered by the district.

[FSogol]

11. I have a hard time believing that. I live in Fairfax County, one of the richest counties in the US,

and the amount of families in food assistance programs is staggering. I think you are falling for the rosy projections of RW politics.

[MissB]

14. Nope.

I'm quite certain of our district's demographics. It's an incredibly small district (less than 750 kids total), with a clearly defined boundary that happens to also be the boundary of the neighborhood. Middle class folks don't stumble into affordable housing here, because there isn't any. There are no apartments and very few non-owner occupied homes. We bought the cheapest home here over a decade ago and it was still ridiculously overpriced for what we bought. We bought here because the district offers a stellar education. It also lacks economic diversity, which is a drawback, but my family helps contribute to that particular diversity.

[joeglow3]

23. Do you live in Kansas?

I ask because I know of a neighborhood that is its own city.

[MissB]

32. I do not.

I live on the west coast in a large city that has several school districts. We've had a Democratic governor since I've lived here, and I've lived here my entire adult life. (Actually, I've lived on the west coast all my life.)

I think it's atrocious that some kids don't find healthy food appealing. I am glad that my kids have a closed school campus, so they are captive to either eating the school food or bringing their lunch. I think it's great that my kids are able to choose good, healthy food - and get free veggies each day. But it comes at a price and it is largely because we've decided as a district to not take federal funds for food. Good fresh food takes money, and the federal funds for school lunches doesn't provide enough to allow districts to meet the guidelines and provide really good food it seems. I wish we'd subsidize that (and PE) rather than wars.

(I'm non specific about where I live and always try to be, as I'm quite a private person IRL.)

[A Little Weird]

2. There's a lot of anger toward the healthier lunch program

I think it's very needed given the obesity epidemic.

[kcr]

8. Or they could add recess and gym back into the curriculum

I went to school in the mid 70's through the 80's and school lunch was far from the healthiest. My middle school sold chocolate milk shakes as a drink option. But we had both gym and recess daily, so no obesity epidemic. But education reform and mandatory testing gets in the way now.

[A Little Weird]

15. They should do both

I think it's a combination of poor diet and lack of exercise that's the problem. But school is just one part of the kid's day, they need a healthy diet at home too. I've known parents that let their toddler drink Mountain Dew from a sippy cup. It's no wonder kids turn out obese if they get off to that kind of start.

[kcr]

22. True, but focus more on the exercise

That is the main culprit

[a kennedy]

19. You're kidding right, add recess and gym back into the curriculum....

those two things are the first to go when money it tight, and those are the first things that should be kept, increased, or added to STOP THE POTENTIAL gaining weight problem in this country.

[Blue_Adept]

26. Who needs gym when you have to learn to take tests.

That's where the time has gone.

[BluegrassDem]

3. Northern KY...wingnut heaven

Heavily Republican area, so not unexpected.

[alp227]

6. Despite being near Cincinnati?

I guess the Kentucky side of the Cincy area is where the right wingers live. Taxes in Ohio too high?

[BluegrassDem]

9. Yes, it's essentially a suburb of Cincy

Just like any suburb of most major cities, it's full of Republicans. And even Cincinnati isn't exactly a liberal oasis itself.

[TheKentuckian]

25. Cincinnati has only become less regressive because the bozos moved across the bridge

and still isn't very liberal.

[alp227]

7. What's next, secession?

And Cincinnati Enquirer original link: http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/education/2014/08/09/district-drops-federal-lunch-program/13847169/

[lovemydog]

10. This is really sad.

I had gym and tons of exercise when I went to school. What the heck has gone wrong?

[bigdarryl]

12. So these idiots rather have un healthy kids in Kentucky

Last edited Mon Aug 11, 2014, 08:53 AM - Edit history (1)

If this program was though of by First lady Laura Bush or Nancy Reagan they would have no problem with this program.

[theHandpuppet]

13. Please refrain from name calling.

Ft. Thomas, Kentucky is a middle class suburb of Cincinnati. It is not in Appalachia so I assume you are simply using the word "hillbillies" as some kind of easy pejorative to describe people you consider ignorant and backward. I really don't appreciate that but would appreciate it if you would consider editing your post. Thank you.

[bigdarryl]

16. OK no problem

[theHandpuppet]

17. Thanks very much.

I appreciate it.

[Fawke Em]

30. The be even more fair - there's nothing wrong with Hillbillies

Most of the white people in the South who supported ending slavery were the Hillbillies. They sympathized with poor black people and their religion taught them slavery was wrong.

[a kennedy]

20. and this is dead on.....if it was a program sponsored bye Laura Bush or Nancy Reagan....

and thank you for this. IT IS just because it's the FLOTUS's initiative.

[alp227]

29. Not just FLOTUS...she's an OBAMA! and BLACK!

Geez, something about the Obamas just brings out the closet racist in people.

[Sunlei]

18. so what 'for profit' will provide the foods and how much is the district paying them?

my goodness, look at the apple in the school childs hand. Even in 1936 movies all the children had a fruit in their lunchbox and were slender children.

[B2G]

21. I agree that the changes were too radical too quickly implemented

They should have phased the changes in over a number of years. Start with adding fruits/veggies. Then phase in lower fat substitutions, etc. A huge mistake was reducing portion size. If you're substituting healthier options, why would you need to reduce portions?

Guess they never heard about the whole frog in a boiling pot of water analogy.

[TheKentuckian]

27. Reducing portions seems stupid to me, I don't remember a single school lunch that didn't

leave me starving by 3pm and usually I was hungry when I got done and I wasn't some huge eater, we were all hungry and some kids really counted on the meal, poor fare as it was and lacking stick to the ribs power as the best and most they would see.

[historylovr]

31. So do I.

But then I also think schools should go back to cooking in their kitchens and stop buying prepackaged and precooked meals. Our school lunches in the 70s and 80s used to be so good, and varied.

And of course, as posters up thread have said, bring back recess and gym classes. Funding cuts and test, test, test aren't doing anything to help our kids' health either.

[kelliekat44]

24. But, but i thought all those upscale folks ate vegan and healthy foods and wanted it for their kids?

Sounds like another objection to anything Obama to me. They teach their kids that stuff too. I am by no means wealthy of even upper middle-class and my grands love fruits and veggies. In fact they eat what we provide for them. One love broccoli, one doesn't a and loves spinach ...they don't like all the same things but I would not call that rejecting fruits and veggies. And salt is rarely asked for because I use onion powder or garlic powder for my seasonings along with real butter.

[underpants]

28. Ha! That'll show those Feds! Well under nourish our own children