Last Wednesday, I spoke at the Fresno Unified School Board Meeting about removing chocolate milk from school menus.

I listend for the first hour as the Board discussed the 80 million dollars promised by Sacramento that might never reach Fresno. California tax revenues are already 539 million dollars below projections. Some trustees wanted to use the promised money to reinstate teachers. Others and Superintendent Hanson called for a reality check and fiscal responsibility.

Hearing all of this, I was sure that the Board and Superintendent would agree with our request to remove chocolate milk. After all, chocolate milk costs more than white milk. $1000 a day more. And is certainly doesn't help the obesity and tooth decay that Fresno kids struggle with. California schools lose 30 million dollars a day due to absences from dental problems. Fresno county spends a quarter of a billion dollars a year on health care related on being overweight. Knowing this, how can serving chocolate milk be fiscally responsible?

Superintendent Hanson told me that strawberry milk is his favorite. The school district has already removed strawberry flavored milk from the menu because it wasn't popular with the kids. He seems to have forgotten that he and the kids can have strawberry milk for lunch whenever they want. Superintendent Hanson can buy it for himself. Parents can pack it for their child. It is the parents' responsibility to cater to a picky eater's taste buds, not Fresno's taxpayers.

The school district is planning on surveying students and parents to see if they prefer chocolate milk or white milk. Another waste of taxpayer money. Kids vote every day when they choose chocolate milk at school. The survey has been done already. The survey they should be doing is of the taxpayers who subsidize the chocolate for the kids. I sure hope the district doesn't decide to survey parents and students on whether they prefer math or recess. We all know that answer too.

Comments

[Jessica]

Hi TC,
Can you give me the source where you got the stat for chocolate milk being $1000/day more expensive than regular. That would be great for the upcoming SSC meeting. Thank you!

[Tienchin Ho]

Jessica,

Jose Alvarado, the director of FUSD Food Services, told me that flavored milk costs five cents more per carton/ bag than plain milk. This sounded high to me. Clint Lara, the Food Services director for Earlimart School District, says he saved one cent per carton by switching to plain milk. So, I used two cents more per carton/ bag. Since FUSD serves more than 70,000 meals per school day, this would represent a cost savings of more than $1,400 per school day.

[Tienchin Ho]

I would add that this is just the short-term savings with replacing chocolate milk with plain milk. Long-term savings include increased funding with fewer school absences, decreased medical costs caring for overweight people, and improved productivity by reducing disability related to being overweight.