MEMORANDUM
TO:
County Nutrition Directors
FROM:
Richard J. Goff, Executive Director
Office of Child Nutrition
SUBJECT: West Virginia Board of Education
Policy 4321.1, Standards for School Nutrition
Marketing Other Foods and Beverages During the School Day
RE:
OCN Guidance Memo 86 – 5.6.
(Marketing Other Foods and Beverages During the School Day)
DATE:
August 24, 2012
West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) Policy 4321.1, Standards for School
Nutrition, §126-86-5.6 states, “On school premises, from the arrival of the first child at
school until the departure of the last regularly scheduled school bus, all fund raising
activities involving foods and beverages shall comply with the standards set forth in this
policy. County boards of education should minimize marketing other foods and
beverages in the high school setting by locating their distribution in low student traffic
areas and by ensuring that the exterior of vending machines does not depict
commercial logos of products or suggest that the consumption of vended items conveys
a health or social benefit.”
Throughout West Virginia, school foodservice directors are doing their part to make
schools healthier places to learn. However, despite the emphasis on improving the
school environment with respect to meals and vending machines, many school
fundraisers regularly pressure children and their families to buy and consume junk food.
A survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that
clubs, sports teams, and PTAs sold food to raise money in 80% of schools nationwide.
These fundraisers help pay for athletic equipment, school activities, field trips, supplies,
library books, and more. Common school fundraisers that undermine health are:
● Bake sales. Parents are too busy to bake, so they contribute ready-made,
commercial cakes and cookies or use quick sugar- and bad-fat-laden mixes if
they do fix their own at home.
● Junk food product sales. Chocolate and other kinds of candy, doughnuts, cookie
dough, pizza dough and pizza kits are popular. Catalogs for gift wrap fundraisers
often include candy, too.
OCN Guidance Memo 86 – 5.6
Page 2 of 2
August 24, 2012
● Fast-food promotions. Fast-food restaurants designate special weeknights for
school fundraising and sell gift cards encouraging families to eat more fast food.
Schools should be discouraging -- not encouraging -- children to eat at fast-food
restaurants.
While food sales typically are quite effective and many school activities and groups rely
on the money raised, fundraisers like these send a mixed message to students about
the need to develop healthy habits for life.
Fortunately, many fundraising alternatives exist that don't harm health. In fact, some
promote it. For example:
● Rope-jumping, walk-athons and fun runs. Sponsorships generate cash for
schools and teach kids that being physically active can be fun and rewarding.
● Nonfood product sales. Plants, flowers, toys, books, wrapping paper, coupon
books, magazine subscriptions, calendars and candles sell well and contain no
added sugar or trans fat.
● Services such as car washes or dog washes. There's an added benefit of giving
children the experience of working cooperatively in teams.
● Healthy food sales. Fresh fruit, nuts, spices, bottled water and granola bars are
good products.
● Sales of items with the school logo: T-shirts, sweat pants, shorts, hoodies, caps,
pens and pencils, hair ties, notebooks and water bottles.
In today's environment where school boards are implementing healthy eating guidelines
and requiring students to complete community service hours, these types of products
are a natural fit. They reinforce the positive messages being sent out by parents,
schools/organizations, and they teach positive, healthy lifestyle skills.
Please ensure that local school administrators are notified of the aforementioned policy
and procedures governing the marketing of other foods and beverages during the
school day. Your continued support for the children of West Virginia is very much
appreciated.
If you have further questions or need assistance, please contact Richard Goff,
Executive Director at 304-558-2709.
RJG/tdr