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Forsyth County School Board reviews food-sales policy; proposes wording changes to align with federal rules
Summary
At its April 8 work session the Forsyth County School Board reviewed policy EE/EEA on in-school food sales. Staff recommended no change to Policy EE, proposed language edits to EEA to remove the word “needy” and to clarify that Food and Nutrition administers free/reduced meals under U.S. Department of Agriculture rules; the changes will be posted
Forsyth County School Board members reviewed Policies EE and EEA on April 8, focusing on rules that govern the sale of foods during the school day. Todd McClellan, a district staff member who presented the item, told the board the policies are intended to align the district with federal “smart snack” regulations and related state guidance.
McClellan said Policy EE required no recommended changes at this time. He described proposed edits to Policy EEA as language clarifications rather than policy shifts: removing the word “needy” when referring to students who receive free and reduced-price meals, and making explicit that the Food and Nutrition Department — not the board directly — administers those meals under U.S. Department of Agriculture programs and Georgia Department of Education oversight. “The children who get free and reduced meals in [the] school system … qualify based on federal regulations,” McClellan said. He added, “we are not a part of the U.S. Department of Education; we’re part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, our program.”
McClellan also pointed to the district’s reading of the school-day window used in the policy, telling the board the “course of the school day” is interpreted from midnight through 30 minutes after the final bell, and that the edits are intended to clarify where sales such as vending and school stores are restricted.
Board members did not adopt changes at the work session. McClellan said the proposed language would be posted for public feedback for 30 days and the policies would return to the board for consideration of adoption at a future meeting. He described the proposed edits as “cleaning up some language” and stressed they are intended to keep district practice consistent with federal regulations and Georgia Department of Education guidance.
The review was presented to the board and superintendent; no formal amendment or vote on the policy text was recorded in the transcript. Staff said they will solicit public comments during the 30-day posting and bring any feedback back to the board when the item is returned for adoption.
