ASFSA prioritizes issues, prepares for DC conference

Nation's Restaurant News, August 11, 1997 by Paul King

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Expand school nutrition programs and reduce paperwork.

That's the message that the American School Food Service Association plans to send to Congress next January, when ASFSA members travel to Washington, D.C., for their annual Legislative Action Conference.

At the ASFSA national conference here, more than 150 members crowded into the Public Policy and Legislation Committee's "think tank" for a 60-minute session on possible topics to address before Congress votes on the fiscal 1999 budget next year. The think tank was the second step of a four-step process culminating in the LAC. The first step occurred several months ago, when ASFSA members were asked to submit their suggestions for issues the association could bring before Congress.

From the survey the PPL Committee drafted six points, all of which the members in attendance supported. They include reauthorizing several programs, promoting and expanding other programs, improving the accountability system for ensuring that school meal programs are being run according to federal law and strengthening funding partnerships.

Panelists presented the six points to the group and then asked for any comments or arguments. Panel members were Mary Kate Harrison, Florida; Mary Anderson, Nebraska; Kathy Kuser, New Jersey; Gaye Lynn MacDonald, Washington; and Sheila Terry, Maryland. Assisting them was Marshall Matz, legal counsel for ASFSA.

"It is very important to recognize that this is still a work in progress," Matz said. "Please continue to forward ideas to the association so that... when we go to sit down with staff on Capitol Hill, we can give them details and specifics."

Under the information collected thus far, members have indicated that they want ASFSA to ask Congress to reauthorize the Summer Food Service Program, the Commodity Distribution Program, the Nutrition Education and Training Program, the Homeless Preschool Feeding Program and the Special Supplemental Program for Women, Infants and Children.

All of these programs are set to expire Oct. 1, 1988.

In addition, foodservice directors in Kentucky and Iowa have asked ASFSA to request that a pilot project under the Child and Adult Care Food Program, under which for-profit child-care centers were eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program if 25 percent or more of the children enrolled are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, be made permanent.

"The foodservice directors in Kentucky and Iowa feel that this program was very beneficial and should be continued," Harrison said.

In terms of new programs, members asked ASFSA to renew its push for a universal free-meal program or at least to make free lunch available to more children. Currently, students whose family incomes are less than 130 percent of the poverty level are eligible for free lunch. Children whose family incomes are between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level can receive a full lunch for 40 cents. School foodservice directors would like to see that reduced-price category eliminated, in favor of allowing all children with family incomes up to 185 percent of poverty to receive free lunch.

ASFSA also also would like to see Congress make breakfast available to more children "to the extent to which funding for the expansion can be identified," Mary Anderson said.

A large number of school foodservice directors are in favor of a universal free-lunch program, but Congress has not considered the possibility seriously.

At the same time as new programs are being considered, ASFSA would like the government to reduce the paperwork necessary for schools to be reimbursed for participation in certain programs. The suggestions include making it easier to qualify a school for the Summer Food Service program, allowing schools to serve after-schools snacks under the NSLP instead of a separate agreement, and eliminating duplicate applications by allowing states to provide school districts with a standard income eligibility application that would be applied to all nutrition programs.

Other requests in the list:

* Provide more and better-targeted nutrition education and technical assistance to schools.

* Provide schools with a defined meal period that presents an adequate amount of time for children to eat lunch.

* Provide commodity support for the School Breakfast Program.