School lunches take a bite from wallet

GOOD EATS-Sixth-grader Kathleen McKeegan enjoys a lunch consisting of fresh fruit, salad bar and hormone-free Alta Dena milk at Medea Creek Middle School on Tuesday. Students will soon pay more for cafeteria food in Oak Park schools. The Oak Park Unified School District Board of Education unanimously ap- proved the increase last week. It becomes effective Oct. 16.

The cost of lunch at el- ementary schools will go up $1. Lunch, which includes an entrée, two side dishes and a container of milk, will in- crease from $2.50 to $3.50.

The cost of lunch at Oak Park High School and Medea Creek Middle School will rise from $3 to $4.

All schools will see a jump in recess-time snacks from $1.50 to $2. Items purchased a la carte will also go up slightly.

The higher prices are due to a rise in delivery costs as well as the district's adoption of a new wellness policy, accord- ing to Superintendent Tony Knight. The policy, written last winter by a committee of administrators, parents, teach- ers and students, calls for healthier alternatives in the cafeteria, including more ex- pensive organic foods.

Parents surveyed by the wellness committee last win- ter favored an increase in healthier food options, said Cindi Gortner, chair of the panel.

"A large majority wanted to see less artificial ingredients and less fat," Gortner said. "Also, a huge majority of par- ents were not satisfied with the current cafeteria offerings."

"We're trying to bring in healthier foods and snacks and more of a variety," said Pam Castruita, the district's child nutrition director, "but that all adds to the cost, including la- bor, because it takes longer to prepare."

The school district is bring- ing in organic fruits and veg- etables which are more costly and don't store as well as nonorganic varieties, Castruita said. Salad bars at the elemen- tary and middle schools also require more labor, which adds to the cost. Another chal- lenge with salad bars is order- ing just the right amount of the perishables.

"Whatever you put out there you have to discard. There's no carryover," Castruita said.

The district has switched its milk supplier to Alta Dena, purchasing milk free of hor- mones and antibiotics. The new milk costs 19 to 22 cents per unit, up from 14 cents per unit.

"We are one of the only dis- tricts using Alta Dena. Every- one else is using Chase (Bros., a milk supplier), but we feel it's worth it," Castruita said.

A wheat crust pizza was not well-received by Brookside Elementary students, accord- ing to Castruita, but a flatter, less doughy, healthier pizza is now being served at the school for $10 to $12 a pie, compared with the former, less healthy $7 version.

"The students seem to like it and the office staff loved it," Castruita said. "I would like to offer pizza at the other schools but it depends on cost." The change in food selections of- fered at Brookside are cost ef- fective because the school has the largest student population.

Knight is pleased with the direction the district has taken to promote healthier lifestyles among students.

"Pam i s feeding kids whereas other districts are feeding cattle," Knight said.

Several board members ex- pressed concern that parents might be unhappy with the price increase. "We may have to draw the line if parents are unwilling to pay this," Jan Ice- land said. Cindy Vinson sug- gested the district investigate contracting with local farmers to help keep costs down. The district is researching that pos- sibility, Castruita said.

"We raised prices two years ago so I hate to raise them again but we have to because of the new wellness policy, which parents do seem in fa- vor of," Iceland said.

Cafeteria prices usually go up annually, adds Knight.

"We will never go two years again without an in- crease, I can tell you," Knight said.

If the H6 bond passes in November, school kitchens will be remodeled and slicers purchased so that students can have fresh food, Knight said, and the process will require more labor.

Parents have mixed reac- tions to the increase and the new food selections. Kathy Toomayan, the parent of an Oak Park High sophomore, is unhappy that her daughter no longer has a choice in the caf- eteria.

The low-fat, sugar-free, high-fiber foods now being of- fered are unappealing to her daughter, who does not have a weight problem, Toomayan added. She doesn't have a problem with students being educated about eating healthy but feels the new policy goes too far.

"There are wonderful choices being offered to our students but I don't think it's the only thing that should be offered," Toomayan said. "Students need to learn to make healthy choices on their own."

Lena Tucker, whose chil- dren buy lunch daily at Oak Park High School and Medea Creek, said she wishes the $1 lunch increase would have been more gradual.

"I'm not happy it's going up but I guess if it's for better nutrition and better quality it's worth it," said Lena Tucker, whose children purchase lunch each day at Medea Creek and Oak Park High.

Sunnie Ashtiani, whose two children at Oak Park High buy snacks at recess and also pay for lunch, said cafeteria food for both kids will add $50 a month to what she's already budgeting for school meals.

"I think a $1 increase is a lot but I don't mind if it's or- ganic," Ashtiani said. "I would rather pay the money and have a healthier lunch."

The district is mailing par- ents notification of the price changes.