SPRINGFIELD, Ohio—Recent federal and state regulations that require schools to serve healthier lunches have driven up food costs and made schools juggle menus to balance health, finances and what kids will eat.
Another set of rules rolling out this fall will order schools to lower calorie counts on snack foods, improve breakfast offerings and serve up even more whole grains.
Few school leaders argue against the idea of healthier food, but they do call it another “unfunded mandate.”
“Once schools get federally compliant, you get an extra 6 cents per reimbursable meal, but that doesn’t cover the cost of what they’re requiring,” said Joshua Ashley, food service supervisor for Clark-Shawnee schools.