8510.01 - CHILD NUTRITION STANDARDS

Grant County School

Bylaws & Policies

8510.01 - CHILD NUTRITION STANDARDS

Good nutrition enhances learning and the quality of life. The purpose of this policy is to ensure a school environment that promotes optimal nutrition for students.

Operational Definitions, Food Sales, and Service

	A.	School day is defined as the time between the arrival of the first child at school and the end of the last scheduled instructional period.
	B.	Candy is defined as any food that, as served in its finished form, contains, by weight, forty percent (40%) or more sugar (in crystalline form or in solution as syrup, both monosaccharides and disaccharides) and/or other sweetening agents, or any food product commonly referred to as "candy".
	C.	For the purpose of this policy "soft drinks" shall mean the same as "bottled soft drinks" as defined in Section 1, Article 19, Chapter 11 of the Code of West Virginia.
	D.	Chewing gum is defined as a preparation of chicle or other plastic substance sweetened and/or flavored for chewing.
	E.	Flavored ice bar is defined as a frozen confection consisting of water mixed with flavored syrups and/or powders, sugars, and/or other sweetening agents, binders, stabilizers, and/or emulsifiers.
	F.	Other foods are defined as any food or beverage, other than those served as part of the school meal, including snacks from vending machines, and foods sold during school hours for fund-raising purposes and foods for parties. Other foods do not include those brought to school by students for their own consumption.
	G.	Enrollment is defined as "head count".
	H.	Bottled water is defined as "water, bottled drinking water 100% pure natural spring water containing no additives".
	I.	High school - for the purpose of this policy, "high school" shall be defined as a school with a grade configuration of 7-12.
	J.	Elementary school - for purposes of this policy, "elementary school" shall be defined as a school serving any students in grades pre-kindergarten up to and including grade 4.
	K.	School premises is defined as school or Board of Education property.

Nutrition Standards for School Nutrition Programs

All foods or beverages made available on school premises during the school day must meet the requirements of this policy.

After-school programs which provide supplemental meals to children shall comply with standards of the policy.

No candy, soft drinks, chewing gum, or flavored ice bars will be sold or served during the school day.

No foods containing forty percent (40%) or more sugar by weight will be sold or served. Any juice or juice product sold or served must contain 100% real juice.

All "other foods" available during the instructional day shall reflect the Dietary Guidelines for fat by limiting the number of fat grams to not more than eight (8) per one (1) ounce serving, or meet the USDA standard for a lunch component.

The Board shall select for each school a USDA approved meal option that meets the Dietary Guidelines based on a West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) lunch meal pattern.

COMPONENT	Grades K-3	Grades 4-12

Fruit or Vegetable **	1 cup	1 1/4 cup
C offer fresh produce	(At least 1/4 cup fresh	(At least 1/4 cup fresh
whenever possible	five (5) times/week)	five (5) times/week)

Meat/Meat Alternate	1 1/2 oz.	2 oz.
C emphasize lean and	(At least 1/2 cup dried	(At least 1/2 cup dried
lower sodium choices	beans, dried peas, or	beans, dried peas, or
	lentils/week)	lentils/week)

C serve dried beans, dried
peas, or lentils at least
once/week


Bread/Bread Alternate**	1.5 day and 10/week	1.5 day and 12/week****
C emphasize whole grain	(At least five (5)	(At least five (5)
products	servings/week contain at	servings/week contain at
	least thirty-three percent	least thirty-three percent
	(33%) whole grain or	(33%) whole grain or
	five (5) grams whole grain	five (5) grams whole grain
	per one (1) oz.)	per one (1) oz.)

Milk	8 fl. oz.	8 fl. oz.
C offer lower fat choices	offer only milk with two	offer only milk with two
	percent (2%) or less	percent (2%) or less
	butterfat*	butterfat*

COMPONENT	Grades K-3	Grades 4-12

Water	offer water	offer water
C encourage adequate
water consumption

*Requires prior approval from USDA.

**Snack option may be chosen. (see 7.1)

***Require additional foods for pregnant and lactating students as specified in "Lunch Implementation Option A".

****When twelve (12) servings of bread are served per week, a total of two (2) of the bread servings, but not more than one (1) per day, may be grain-based desserts.

The breakfast meal pattern proposes a single implementation option**.

Component	Grades K-12

Milk	8 fl. oz.
C offer lower fat choices	C offer only milk with two percent (2%)
	or less butterfat*

Fruit/Vegetable	1/2 cup
C offer daily a fruit, juice, or vegetable
that is a good source of vitamin C


MAY CHOOSE ONE (1) SERVING FROM EACH OF THE FOLLOWING COMPONENTS OR TWO (2) SERVINGS FROM ONE (1).

Bread/Bread Alternate	1 or 2 servings
C offer whole grain varieties often

Meat/Meat Alternate	1 serving recommended
C encourage low-fat and low-salt
choices

*Requires prior approval from USDA.

Nutrition Standards for Other Foods Consumed at School (Pk-12)

	A.	Develop and expand food choices and meal service options to improve accessibility of school meals and acceptability of school meals and nutritious for all students.
	B.	Except for foods served in the school nutrition programs, no food shall be sold in elementary schools from the time the first child arrives until twenty (20) minutes after all students are served lunch.
	C.	Require that all "other foods" available during the school day reflect the dietary guidelines for fat by limiting the number of fat grams to not more than eight (8) per ounce serving, or meet the 1994-95 USDA standard for a lunch component.
	D.	No candy, soft drinks, chewing gum, or flavored ice bars will be sold or served during the school day.
	E.	No foods containing forty percent (40%) or more sugar by weight will be sold or served.
	F.	Any juice or juice product sold or served must contain 100% real juice.
	G.	Wherever and whenever foods are sold or otherwise offered on school premises both during and outside the school day, such foods should include nutritious choices.

A la Carte Sales

Only meal components may be sold as a la carte items for breakfast, and only fluid milk, milkshakes, and bottled water may be sold as a la carte items for lunch.

Availability of Drinking Water

All student dining facilities shall contain a drinking water dispenser, or water shall be offered with meals for student consumption.

Adequate Time for Meal Consumption

Adequate time shall be allowed for student meal consumption. Minimum time allowance (eating time for each student after being served the meal) for student consumption of meals shall be ten (10) minutes for breakfast and twenty (20) minutes for lunch.

Compliance/Accountability

The Board and local school administrators shall provide a nutritionally healthful school environment for students and accountability for all funds from food and beverage sales. Compliance evaluation shall include, but is not limited to:

	A.	The Performance Based Accreditation System that includes specified compliance standard(s) and verification procedures.
	B.	Monitoring sales and services of "other foods". Sanctions for non-compliance shall include transfer of purchasing authority for food and beverage from the school to the county level.

Staffing

Each Superintendent shall designate a School Nutrition Program Director. Beginning with assignments made for the 2002-2003 school year, the school nutrition director must hold an authorization endorsed for school nutrition director. An individual who is assigned as a School Nutrition Program Director for the 2002-2003 school year shall be issued, upon recommendation from the Superintendent, an authorization to continue working in this capacity and shall renew such authorization annually.

The applicant for initial authorization must provide evidence of satisfying the following:

	A.	a minimum of a bachelor's degree with a 2.5 overall GPA and at least six (6) semester hours of course work in nutrition, foods, and/or food service management; and
	B.	receive the recommendation of the Superintendent verifying that the applicant is the most qualified candidate for the position.

The authorization shall be valid for one (1) school year and shall expire on June 30th.

The applicant for renewal of the authorization for School Nutrition Program Director must provide evidence of satisfying the following:

	A.	completion of fifteen (15) clock hours of in-service credit related to Child Nutrition Programs and offered or approved by the West Virginia Department of Education; and
	B.	recommendation of the Superintendent in which the applicant is or was employed.

The State Department of Education recommends that each county assign a full-time School Nutrition Program Director for centralizing operations, developing and monitoring compliance with specification for foods, especially entrees, implementing the dietary guidelines, School County accountability, and for nutrition education and training.

Suggested staffing by the State Department of Education:

		1.	one (1) full-time authorized School Nutrition Program Director;
		2.	one (1) assistant school nutrition program director for each county where enrollment exceeds 10,000 students; and
		3.	two (2) secretaries or one (1) secretary and one (1) clerk for food service operations at the county level where enrollment exceeds 10,000 students.

	B.	Operational Definitions Relative to Staffing
		Full-time is defined to mean a minimum of 220 days employment with exclusive nutrition program responsibilities.

Comprehensive County Plan to Address Health and Nutrition Re-Education

A comprehensive county plan shall be developed with the purpose of linking nutrition service and curriculum by establishing a wellness environment in schools, providing professional development and establishing an on-going evaluation process.

Development of the plan shall involve a broad spectrum of the school and community including health care providers, food service personnel, teachers, students, and educational administrators.

18-5-37, W.V. Code
W.V. State Board of Education Policy 4320 and Policy 4320.01
42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.
42 U.S.C. 1771 et seq.