The nutrition department at Broome-Tioga BOCES educated students
on healthy eating.The past year has been a particularly tough
one for child nutrition directors in terms of legislation
mandating healthy reforms in school meals. The Healthy, Hunger-
Free Kids Act was signed into law in December 2010. In addition
to the federal legislation, six states and the District of
Columbia enacted some type of school nutrition bill that deals
with healthful meals, according to the National Conference of
State Legislatures. Directors agree that reform is needed in
their programs, but directors in some states are being hit with
mandates from both the federal and state governments, and in
some cases those regulations are not the same. Further
complicating things is the fact that many of these mandates are
unfunded, putting even further strain on already tight budgets.
The issue of how much legislation is too much and who has the
right to mandate reforms in school meals is a complicated one.
This month FSD investigates the su