School board hears comments on plan to reduce snack days

As published in the Record Journal Tuesday June 18, 2013

By Eric Vo
Record-Journal staff
evo@record-journal.com
(203) 317-2235
Twitter:@ericvoRJ

WALLINGFORD — A food services employee and parents voiced their opinions during a Board of Education meeting Monday night on the new snack program at the elementary schools.

The program, which goes into effect next school year, will only give elementary students an opportunity to purchase snacks at school on Wednesdays. Before the change, the students were able to buy a snack every day of the week. Fruits and vegetables are not considered a snack and will still be offered to students every day. Some snacks students are able to purchase include low sugar and low fat cookies and ice cream.

Iris Papale, a former member of the Town Council who now works at Rock Hill School’s food services department, expressed her concerns about the new snack program.

“I know how difficult it can be when items come up in front of you and a decision has to be made. But this decision should not be difficult at all to make,” Papale said. “... Parents should have the say of what their children buy and what they eat.

“If parents were not happy with what the children are putting in their stomachs while they’re in school, they should not be putting the money in the account that they use,” Papale added.

School Superintendent Salvatore Menzo said not all parents are as involved in their students’ lives as others.

“Parents do front load the account. Some parents are very diligent, they go online and know their account,” Menzo said. “Others aren’t as diligent and often times their students aren’t as focused on what they purchase.”

The new snack rules were developed in part because some students weren’t eating their school lunches and opting to eat snacks instead, Menzo said.

Papale said she’s never seen a student choose not to eat their lunch.

“We want the children to eat healthy foods, that’s been the push for Wallingford food service for quite a few years and we’re right on top of things,” she said. “But I think if the snacks are only served once a week, the parents are going to be packing the students’ lunches and they won’t be as healthy as they are now.”

One parent spoke in favor of the new program, discussing how her daughter had gained weight after buying the snacks at school.

Menzo presented a video to the board that pointed out about 90,000 cookies were purchased in the schools during the current school year.

Another parent suggested the board send out a survey to give parents the chance to comment. The same parent also said believes students are passing on school lunch and opting for school snacks.

Food Services Director Sharlene Wong said the Board of Education will revisit the program in November to discuss if changes should be made.

Since the program isn’t an official policy by the Board of Education, no official vote was required. Despite this, Papale said she wants board members to make the right decision.

“I really want the Board of Education to give this much thought,” she said. “The parents should make the decision, not the people in the Wallingford school district.”