The SNA turned up the heat today on lawmakers considering the reauthorization of the school lunch program.
School Nutrition Association President Jean Ronnei sent a letter Monday to members of congressional committees involved in the reauthorization of the subsidized school lunch program, stressing the association’s desires for more funding and flexibility for meal programs.
In her letter, Ronnei—COO of Saint Paul Public Schools—stressed the challenges her foodservice operation has faced, including financial losses and declining meal participation, since the new rules were implemented.
“Unfortunately, rising costs and shrinking revenue under the new rules force us to limit popular, but pricey, choices like pea pods, mango, pineapple, melon, and roasted vegetables - once frequent options on SPPS menus,” she said.
Ronnei also highlighted challenges of other school districts across the country, citing a recent SNA survey that revealed nearly half of respondents have enacted layoffs and reduced hours of cafeteria staff. The study found that the current rules cut into reserve funds and cancelled or deferred equipment purchases.
She also pointed out that the current mandates requiring all grains offered to be whole grain rich is unrealistic for schools, as 71 percent of school districts say the mandate is a challenge to fulfill. “In the push to make all school menu items meet this standard, we have lost the ability to appeal to students in diverse communities who don’t eat foods like brown rice at home or in restaurants,” she wrote.
Despite the challenges school nutrition professionals face, Ronnei noted that they aren’t interested in reversing the progress made in recent years in addressing child nutrition and support the majority of the school-lunch rules, including caps on calories, saturated and trans fats and mandates for more fruits and vegetables.
“We all share the same goals, but we must account for the realities facing school cafeterias - from diverse student tastes to limited budgets. Congress must provide funding and flexibility to protect school meal programs and the children we serve.”
Recently, the SNA urged Congress not to let reauthorization of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act—which expires Sept. 30—lapse, and called for a 35-cent increase in the federal reimbursement for school meals.