Henderson County Schools post videos to explain changes in meals, snacks and school fund-raisers involving food

Student Nibre Fortune chose food items at Henderson's

Jefferson Elementary School last April. (Gleaner photo

by Mike Lawrence)

To help parents and students understand the federally mandated changes in school lunches, the Henderson County Schools have posted three videos on YouTube, Erin Schmitt reports for The Gleaner.

“We decided a video would reach a wider audience and actually show parents what has changed,” Child Nutrition Director Sabrina Jewell told Schmitt. “The biggest challenge with this has been with side items of what we would typically see as a la carte items,” which were affected by the last round of changes. The "Smart Snacks" rules also apply to vending machine sales, Jewell said.

"School fundraisers involving food must also meet the federal requirements," Schmitt reports. "The Kentucky Department of Education has not given any waivers for fundraisers, Jewell said."

“We are working with the schools to meet these requirements without causing undue hardships on the various programs,” Jewell told Schmitt. “This section is very much a learning process.”

Schmitt lays out the changes in her story, which begins, "There has been less ice cream and more brussels sprouts served in school cafeterias nationwide since a federal child nutrition act was passed." To see the videos, visit www.henderson.kyschools.us and click the YouTube icon.