Board Debates Nutrition, Allows Dana High Soft Drink Machines

After a lengthy debate about the nutritional value of soft drinks, the Capistrano Unified School District Board of Trustees voted 6 to 1 last week to make Dana Hills High School the first campus in the district to have soft drink vending machines.

The district decided to lift a long-standing ban on soft drinks in order to give the school the opportunity to earn much-needed money for extracurricular activities. The school district will receive a percentage of the revenue generated by the Pepsi machines.

“I think the positives outweigh the negatives,” said John Smart, school principal. “The revenue that can be generated is a very positive aspect and it’s something that we’re very excited about.”

Trustee Ed Westberg objected to the idea and said that allowing the machines on a campus would promote bad eating habits.

“I think we should teach nutrition to students and I think they’ll be receiving food that is not nutritious,” said Westberg.

But Board President Crystal Kochendorfer said the decision on whether to have a nutritious drink or not should be left up to the students themselves.

“I feel comfortable allowing them to make their own choice,” Kochendorfer said.

The school will have seven machines placed throughout campus but they will not be operational until 3 p.m. each day.

If the Pepsi machines prove successful at Dana Hills, the board will consider expanding this pilot program to other high schools in the district.

The district, which is the only one in the county that does not allow candy sales, will consider lifting the candy ban next month in order to give schools more opportunities for fund-raising.