Santee School Board Limits Certain Treats to Once a Month

The  board voted unanimously Tuesday night to limit celebrations on school campuses that  food, like cupcakes and other sweets, to once a month.

This was the second time in about a month that this specific "student wellness" topic was brought before the school board. and ended with a "no" vote. At Tuesday's meeting, the board simply seemed tired of arguing over how many times students can have a special treat, and anxious to get onto different topics of student health.

, parent of a second grade student at , member of the Wellness Committee and , spoke before the board reaffirming that they making more affective healthy changes to the food and exercise Santee schoolchildren receive, and not nitpick on traditions like in-class birthday celebrations (see video of public speakers in the media box).

He was upset that the topic wasn't brought before the Wellness Committee again before the board voted on it.

Another Rio Seco parent, Jennifer Brown, who said she had worked in a Santee School kitchen, said everyday she had witnessed lack of enforcement of non-compliant food rules and kids ignoring healthy food in the cafeteria and taking the junk food.

"One person doesn't know what the other is doing. So, teacher gives a kid a piece of candy, mom gives a cupcake... it's all compiling," said Brown. "The kids are on sugar highs constantly."

She supported the motion because it was simple and easier to enforce than previous attempts to curb unhealthy foods in school.

In the end, the board voted to change the Student Wellness Administrative Regulations so that celebrations on campus with non-compliant food would be limited to once a month. The board stressed that all sorts of celebrations that don't involve food are still allowed and encouraged.

Each school will have the monthly celebration put on their calendar, so that it can be published to parents.

The board also pointed out that prioritized topics of consideration for the Wellness Committee in the next year include looking at physical education and school lunch menus.