By Kelly Youngblood
School bake sales featuring sweet treats are going obsolete.
A new federal law is forcing schools to slim down the snacks that are sold in on-campus bake sales and fundraisers. The law went into effect on July 1.
Under the USDA’s “Smart Snacks in School” program, snacks with too many calories, salt, fat or sugar will not be allowed at school fundraisers. The rules will pretty much eliminate home-baked goods at fundraisers too since the snacks must be labeled with nutritional content.
Urbana High School Principal Matthew Stark said he knew the guidelines were coming and spoke to his staff about it last fall. Stark said the news didn’t go over very well.
“It’s going to be tough,” Stark said. “It does have a financial impact on us.”
The new law is a result of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act passed in 2010 which directed the United Sates Department of Agriculture to establish nutrition guidelines for food and drinks sold to students in school during the school day, including food sold at school fundraisers.
That means cookie, donut and candy bar sales will be have to be replaced with healthier foods like peanuts, light popcorn, and granola bars this year. Check out this infographic for more information about what foods are deemed okay: http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/allfoods_infographic.pdf.
Stark said while the principle behind the law is good, it will take some time to figure out what kinds of things kids can do to raise money.
“We just have to rethink it. I don’t know that we have a good plan yet as to what we will replace (those fundraisers with),” Stark said. “We just have to get more creative. That’s fine, we’ll adapt.”
While there are no limits on non-food fundraisers and those that follow the strict nutritional guidelines, Stark said those don’t typically generate a lot of funds.
“The question that needs to be asked is why do all of these clubs need those fundraisers,” he said.
Mahomet-Seymour PTO president Penny Moisson says the new law won’t affect the Mahomet elementary schools at all because they don’t do any bake sale fundraisers.
While Moisson says she is in favor of increased nutritional awareness and encouraging healthier food choices for children and the country in general, she doesn’t support the government dictating food choices.
“It is our responsibility to make healthier choices and I prefer to see those decisions made independently in our schools and community, not mandated by larger government entities,” Moisson said.
Some exemptions allowed
Each state can set an “appropriate number” of exemptions. That means a restricted number of bake sales will be allowed each year that don’t have to adhere to the nutritional standards.
Illinois is allowing 36 exemptions for the 2014-15 school year at high schools and nine at elementary schools but that number is expected to shrink down to nine and zero respectively over the next three years. http://www.nasbe.org/healthy_schools/hs/bytopics.php?topicid=3115
Stark said he will “probably take those exemption days.”
“We have some very traditional fundraisers and I want to support what those kids are doing,” he said.
For more information about the Smart Snacks in School Program, go to http://www.smartsnacksinschool.com.
Kelly is a freelance writer and a mom to three wild and wonderful children. She has lived in the C-U area for most of her life but is still finding new and interesting things to do in the area.