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Health teacher Cathy Spies regularly brings healthy snack samples, such as these whole-wheat bagels, to class at West Bend's Silverbrook Middle School to teach students how to read and compare nutrition labels.
School cafeterias without vending machines. Student birthdays without homemade chocolate-covered treats. Fundraisers without candy bars.
Those are just a few of the things on the table as districts throughout the state prepare for the reauthorized Child Nutrition Act, signed into law in 2004. It requires school districts that participate in federally subsidized child nutrition programs to have local wellness policies in place by next fall.
The law aims to trim back the child obesity epidemic, and covers in-school nutrition, nutrition education programs, and physical activity. The law includes five minimum general policy requirements and makes local officials responsible for choosing appropriate goals to promote student wellness.
"We're not recommending drastic changes," said Nancy Dorman, policy services coordinator for the Wisconsin Association of School Boards, which is working with the Department of Public Instruction to educate districts about the new law. "Policies that are drastic are not well perceived - small steps are better. For instance, instead of saying there will be no more soda in school, try selling it for fewer hours in the day."
This long-awaited response to continous reports that the nation's children are getting fatter each year and prone to obesity-related disease is drawing enthusiastic support from health advocates.
“People who are really gung-ho think this is their opportunity to get things they have wanted for a long time," Dorman said. "Some want more recess. Some say, ‘If kids can’t have soda, teachers should not have coffee.’ And I say, ‘Whoa!' Policies have to be balanced and realistic. The law has only general requirements, but this is about local flexibility.”
According to the National Institutes of Health, one in five American children is overweight, and 25% of children ages 5-10 have high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol levels or early warning signs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Change takes time
Hundreds of educators attended the Wisconsin Healthy Kids Coalition and Department of Public Instruction's wellness conference November 30 in Madison, seeking help developing wellness policies for their schools.
"I had about 150 people in one session where about half had just started working on a policy and half had not started yet," Dorman said. "Ashwaubenon and La Crosse have been working on policies for about the last year and a half now. The more people you involve, the more support you build, but also it takes more time."
Engaging a community in an issue can take years, and implementing a policy can take even longer. However, districts that haven't even started to solicit input shouldn't panic.
"The law doesn't require full implemention by fall, it only requires that you have a plan in place - consider it a working policy," Dorman said.
"There is an impulse to do things right away, but it can be too much and scare people away."
Organizers may need to allay fears about the new law before getting constructive input.
"On the face of it, some think the law requires that teachers can't have pop or the government is going to start regulating what parents feed their children," Dorman said. "Every school, even schools in the same district, is different and will need different policies."
DPI will be responsible for confirming schools have wellness policies. Schools that don't could lose federal funding for free and reduced nutrition programs, but many doubt that would happen.
"The law doesn't build in teeth for monitoring," Dorman said. "DPI may audit schools to make sure they are in compliance, but the law is very general. Perhaps down the road, if schools aren't doing anything, it could get more severe."
Local flexibility
Unlike the so-called "No Child Left Behind" law, the Child Nutrition Act calls for local flexibility and requires community involvement. Wellness policy goals must be designed to promote student wellness in a manner that the local school district determines is appropriate.
Dorreen Dembski, public information officer for the West Bend School District, helped spearhead her district's wellness policy and said community support has been overwhelming.
"The day after we issued a press released asking for input, I got 35 calls," she said. "I've never had anyone call me, asking to be put on a committee before – much less 35 people at once."
Doctors, dentists, local fitness trainers and other health-conscious community members contacted Dembski and offered to help draft a policy.
"There is a lot of people in the community who care deeply about the state of children's health and obesity," Dembski said. "And getting well-known community members involved adds credibility to the plan."
It was a tougher sell to get staff involved. "One of the reasons I wanted to do this is because there was so much negativity about it, at first," she said. "I wanted to show that it was going to be a great thing for kids. One of my points was that we have to do something, or it looks like we are oblivious to the outside world. Even McDonald's was offering healthy choices, like the apple and walnut salad - we had to get with it."
Funding issues
Despite budget cuts and state-imposed revenue caps, parents and teachers in districts with already successful wellness policies say changes can pay for themselves – in time. For example, students become better behaved and cause fewer disciplinary problems, meaning security costs have decreased.
However, with even more budget cuts coming next fall, there is concern about how to cover start-up costs.
"Funding is a problem," Dorman said. "The law doesn't address funding because the programs will all be so different. Some will need a lot of money, and others won't need any money."
Because there is no direct funding, soda sales in schools is becoming a catch-22. Research shows that children who consume sugary drinks, including soda, may be at a higher risk for diabetes, but soda vending can mean thousands of dollars in revenue for schools. Health experts say it's not necessary to sell out children's health.
"Coca-Cola sells water," Dembski said. "There is always a healthy choice. We may not always agree on what a 'healthy choice' is, but you just have to brainstorm and find new ways of doing things. You can if you try."
However, healthy choices in vending machines have a smaller profit margin.
"I've talked with vendors, and they say it costs more to manufacture juice and water than it does soda," Dorman said. "With demand being higher, the prices might come down, but the companies say the packaging costs more for them."
A few companies are starting to see the trend toward healthy eating in schools. Stonyfield Farm, in Rhode Island, launched an organic, low-fat, low-sugar pilot project, which stocks vending machines with healthy snacks such as string cheese, pita chips, organic yogurt, soy nuts, dried fruit, and carrots with dip.
Reaching out
Some districts are collaborating with local businesses to fund programs. The Madison Metropolitan School District is working with Group Health Cooperative HMO on an after-school pilot program called Healthy Self, which encourages good nutrition, fitness and self-esteem.
Districts can also apply for grants. The Carol M. White Physical Education Program grants (PEP grants) are federal grants awarded for a period of 12 to 36 months.
The NEA offers a grant via the Allen Foundation, which supports educational nutrition programs, with priority given to training programs for children and young adults to improve their health and development. Past grants have ranged from $2,000 to $1 million.
Read part II: Creativity abounds in local wellness policies
Posted December 7, 2005