An Arizona high school district chose to stop the National School Lunch Program in order to eliminate the unpopular components of the required meal pattern. Menu selections were narrowed down to the most requested items; nutritious food was offered at low prices; and fewer students left the campus at lunchtime. (MLF)

Labor shortages, cost increases, and turnover have prompted Fairfax County Schools, Virginia, food service managers to offer training programs and recruitment bonuses, to use more convenience foods, and to price out every service. (MLF)

Discusses the development and implementation of the Lunch Bunch Writing Club, a weekly parent-student lunch and writing workshop organized by a fourth-grade teacher at Edgewood Elementary School in Homewood, Alabama. Parents assist their children in writing essays or stories on particular themes while becoming more informed about their children's…

Explains why privately-run lunch programs are providing better nutritional value at less cost than state-run programs. Several examples are provided of schools where lunch program privatization has increased participation and cafeteria discipline, improved nutritional and food quality, and has done so with financial efficiency. (GR)

Pending federal legislation would require that school meals meet federal dietary guidelines. However, food service directors and nutritionists see other obstacles to improving the nutritional content of school meals such as government red tape, costs, and difficulty in changing people's tastes. Hundreds of schools, usually in affluent communities,…

Presents an interview with Nikolai Nikolaevich Baganov addressing the presidential program "Russia's Children" that is made up of nine subprograms: Children of Chernobyl, Children of the North, Family Planning, The Baby-food Industry, Orphaned Children, Handicapped Children, Gifted Children, Children of Refugee Families, and Children's…

Three school districts are working successfully with a private contractor to reduce the operating costs of lunch programs, while increasing participation and maintaining nutrition standards. The facilities department of the fourth school is producing higher quality work and greater accountability under the direction of a private contractor. (MLF)

Despite federal and state regulations prohibiting the sale of nonnutritious foods in competition with school lunch programs, powerful market forces are keeping vending machines in schools. In 1997, schools generated $750 million for the vending machine market. Soft-drink companies are offering million-dollar contracts to some schools. Student…

Mary Story, Karen Kaphingst, and Simone French argue that U.S. schools offer many opportunities for developing obesity-prevention strategies by providing more nutritious food, offering greater opportunities for physical activity, and providing obesity-related health services. Meals at school are available both through the U.S. Department of…

Describes food service programs administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and its Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). (MLF)

Explores the advantages and disadvantages to school districts of running a self-sustaining school lunch program or using an outside food services contractor. (MLF)

Provides an overview of the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH) Eat Smart School Nutrition Program, an elementary school health promotion program. The article examines components of the CATCH kitchen visits and intervention materials, including the School Meal Program Guide, Fat and Sodium Criteria, Recipe File Box, Vendor…

Describes high school students' attitude toward the school lunch program. Students recorded their opinions, feelings, and attitudes toward the program. They reported that the quality and variety of food offered significantly affected their decision to participate. Length of lunch period and time spent in line also influenced opinions. (RJM)

Examined the association between free meal entitlement (FME) and the socioeconomic characteristics of schools in Scotland using a national survey of school leavers (n=8,545). Results suggest that FME is an inconsistent measure of poverty and only a partial proxy for socioeconomic circumstances. (SLD)

Provides national and state information on the number, type, size, and location of schools and districts. Also includes student race/ethnicity, participation in the Free Lunch Program, and participation in special education services. (Author)