Simplified: A dramatic shift in federal dietary guidelines would add "significant" costs to the Sioux Falls School District's child nutrition department, Nutrition Coordinator Gay Anderson told school board members this week.

Why it matters

  • Earlier this year, federal officials proposed a new inverted food pyramid with an emphasis on protein, full-fat dairy and healthy fats. The updated dietary guidelines emphasize more "whole foods" and fewer "highly processed food" – though, Anderson said neither term has a strong definition as of now.
  • The new guidelines would require some additional equipment for elementary schools to be able to serve hot breakfasts, which Anderson estimates could cost around $400,000. Additionally, freshly prepared foods – per guidelines – will require increased labor costs and potentially a new full-time chef position, and additional protein requirements will mean upping the costs of what's already the most expensive component on a school lunch tray, Anderson said.
  • Gov. Larry Rhoden on Friday is expected to sign HB 1082, which would cover the cost of all reduced-price meals for kids across the state. Sioux Falls schools already does that, so the additional state money could offset some of the rising food and equipment costs, Anderson said. Right now, 48% of Sioux Falls students receive free lunches. That's just shy of 12,000 kids.
"We do support most of the (federal) changes ... but we’re asking for a lot of time," Anderson said, noting that K-12 food manufacturers will also need time to adjust to new regulatory standards.

Tell me more

Anderson told board members this week that she recently had a chance to talk with one of U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s staffers about the changing dietary guidelines.

  • She also said the Sioux Falls School District is committed to complying with USDA regulations while also remaining financially sound.
  • But, when she asked Kennedy's staffer about potential federal funding increases to support switches to the new guidelines, it didn't sound optimistic.
"We were told there is no funding planned at this point in time, so it’ll be kind of creative on our part how we’ll be managing that," Anderson said.

The district will also continue to help offset the costs of school lunches for as many families as possible.

  • In addition to the students who qualify for free or reduced lunches (which will now be free), the district also works with the community and donors to cover costs for more than 400 additional kids whose families who don't quite qualify for state assistance.
    • Those families fall within 186% to 210% of the federal poverty line.

What happens next?

School Board members told Anderson she has their support as she works through the logistics of potential changes needed.

Board member Elizabeth Duffy also noted that school meals is a much more complicated operation than many folks realize.

"People just think about what they're making in their own household and the food choices they’re making," she said. "But when you’re making over 20,000 meals a day and you have to factor in all these different components – we’re definitely not trying to poison kids. We’re trying to feed them, feed them all, feed them well and feed them affordably."