Indigestion: School Boards Seek Relief From 'Onerous' School Lunch Rules

The National School Boards Association is seeking relief from the "onerous regulations" and "rigid mandates" of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, a law pushed by first lady Michelle Obama. “Students need healthy meals and adequate nutrition to achieve their potential in school, and school board members are committed to ensuring all students are prepared to learn,” said NSBA Executive Director Thomas J. Gentzel, whose group represents 90,000 local school board members across the nation. “However, school boards cannot ignore the higher costs and operational issues created by the rigid mandates of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.” NSBA wants lawmakers to provide "modest regulatory relief" for school meal programs in the fiscal year 2015 appropriation for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The NSBA spelled out its request in a May 19 letter to the House Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, as follows:...more