SODA BAN WILL COST SCHOOLS OFFICIALS: FEES MAY GO UP.

Byline: Carol Rock Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Citing poor nutritional choices and soaring obesity rates in teenagers, the state stands ready to ban sugary drinks and high-fat snacks from high school campus vending machines and student stores.

The move might make for healthier students - though they're free to bring their food and drink of choice from home - but the bans, which take effect between 2007 and 2009, will hit student organizations in the pocketbook.

Soda sales alone amount to tens of thousands of dollars of income that support a variety of Associated Student Body programs in the William S. Hart Union High School District.

In 2003-04, Valencia High made $88,453 and Hart High made $51,048 selling Coca-Cola products. Saugus and Canyon high schools earned $35,116 and $35,085, respectively, selling Pepsi products.

``The drink machine sales are really the backbone of financing student activities,'' said Bob Vincent, principal of the district's new West Ranch High. ``ASB funds all extracurricular activities for all students; they buy some of the sports equipment for athletics; they pay for dances and game officials for football and basketball; they support causes such as the Hurricane Katrina relief collection and programs like choir, drama and clubs.''

At Valencia High, ASB adviser Vince Ferry said students have been choosing healthy alternatives, such as breakfast bars and granola from the student store.

Ferry said diet drinks are popular with students, a figure mirrored at Canyon, where the trend toward diet seems to be running ahead of the forced elimination of regular soda. Despite diet drinks' role in lowering the calorie intake of students, the new laws ban carbonated drinks of any kind from campus.

``We've been gearing up for this for years because it's been talked about for so long,'' said Jan Hayes-Rennels, Canyon High's ASB adviser and a health teacher. ``We've been changing out the food in the student store and offering baked chips, pretzels, fruit, frozen yogurt and crackers with cheese or peanut butter in place of other fatty foods.''

Hayes-Rennels said that although water is the hottest seller on campus, outdistancing sodas by a long shot, the loss of soda contracts by the schools would leave a significant dent in their budgets.

The ban would prohibit the sale of anything other than fruit- or vegetable-based drinks made with no less than 50 percent juice and no added sweeteners; electrolyte-replacement drinks with no more than 42 grams of added sweetener per 20 ounces; any milk products with more than a 2 percent fat content; and drinking water with any sweetener or anything with carbonation.

And it would cost.

``There's really no good answer as to where they could make up the funding if it's lost,'' Vincent said. ``We might have to raise ASB card fees or provide less services to the students, which would mean parents would have to pay more for their student to participate in programs.''

The legislation, SB 12 and SB 965, is expected to be signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this week and affects the content of all snacks and beverages sold in machines or student-run stores from a half-hour before the beginning of school to a half-hour after the end of each school day. Rules governing snacks will go into effect July 1, 2007, when half of the beverages are also expected to be in compliance. All sugary beverages must be gone from campuses by July 1, 2009.

Carol Rock, [phone]

carol.rock(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

At Valencia High School, students buy soda from a vending machine, a drink that wouldn't be available on campus after 2009 under a bill awaiting the governor's signature.

David Crane/Staff Photographer