Speak Up for School Food Standards

• Overview
• What does the Wellness Task Force recommend?
• Didn't the governor just ban junk food in schools last year?
• What is ISBE doing now? How do I comment?
• What can I do?

October 2007 - Schools play a critical role in supporting children’s health and preventing problems associated with poor nutrition and physical inactivity. Creating healthy school environments where children have access to nutritious food can lead to invaluable benefits for children's health and readiness to learn.

Now, Illinois leaders have an opportunity to improve the nutritional quality of food available to children in all schools throughout the state. To make that happen, we need to make sure that members of the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) know that there is public support for improving the quality of food in all schools.  

Recognizing the important role of schools in supporting children's health and readiness to learn, Illinois state lawmakers passed Public Act 94-0199 which established the Illinois School Wellness Policy Task Force. This Task Force of more than 19 health and educational groups submitted a report to the Governor on ways for schools to address the obesity crisis on January 1, 2007. The report recommends a comprehensive approach to addressing the obesity in schools, including specific recommendations on nutrition standards for food sold in schools.

What does the Wellness Task Force recommend?

The Wellness Task Force recognizes that schools need a comprehensive approach to addressing health and nutrition, and that a major component of this approach is stopping the sale of foods with no nutritional value.

It recommends setting limits in portion sizes, reducing high fat milks and cheeses, eliminating soda and, most importantly, setting common sense nutrition standards for all schools – including high schools. You can download the full report here.

Didn't the governor just ban junk food in schools last year?

About a year and a half ago, the governor passed rules to improve food sold in schools. These rules were good and important changes, but they missed two important areas:

1. It does not address high schools.
2. It does not address serving sizes for a la carte items.

The Task Force recommendations would address both of these omissions and bring Illinois more in line with recommendations from respected organizations including the Institute of Medicine and the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity.

It's time for the Task Force recommendations to be integrated into our approach to student health and improving the nutritional quality of food sold in all schools. Click here to see the current rules, or click here to send ISBE an email telling them to support the Task Force recommendations.

What is ISBE doing now? How do I comment?

ISBE is holding three public forums and accepting public comments on the nutrition rules because they were required by law to revise the nutrition rules after the Task Force recommendations were released. It is important for the public to let ISBE know how important healthy school food is and how important it is to take into account the perspective provided by the 19 organizations who participated on the Task Force.

ISBE is accepting comments up until November 9, 2007 via email at cnp@isbe.net or click here to fill out HSC's template.They are also accepting written comments at:

Illinois State Board of Education
Nutrition Programs Division
ATTN: Part 305 Discussion Forums
100 North First Street (W-270)

The public forums will be held in three locations on three dates:

October 29, 2007
DuPage ROE Professional Development Center
1519 South Grace Street
Lombard, IL 60148

November 5, 2007
St. Clair County ROE Office
1000 South Illinois Street
Belleville, IL 62220

November 7, 2007
Illinois State Board of Education, Board Room
100 North First Street
Springfield, IL 62777-0001

What can I do?

We need to make sure that members of ISBE know that there is public support for improving the quality of food in all schools. To help ensure these healthy changes, you can:

• Send an email to ISBE asking them to pass rules that are supportive of children’s health and apply to ALL schools – even high schools.

• Attend one of the ISBE forums on this issue to make sure your voice is heard. View the schedule above or click here to read ISBE's forum announcement.

• Sign up for the Healthy Schools Campaign’s email alerts to make sure you get all of the latest news and resources on school food. Click here.

Tools

* Send an email to ISBE telling them you support common sense nutrition for all schools.

* Attend a public forum on this issue. Times and locations are here.