Sustainable School: What's for lunch?

Schools are Joining Revolution

Yesterday I heard that Santa Cruz City Schools may join several other Bay Area school districts in contracting out their school meals to Revolution Foods, an Oakland-based food service and nutrition education company, which, according to a March 9 Business Times article, plans to take California and other parts of the country by a storm.

Revolution Foods wants to "start a revolution" by integrating healthy, organic fresh food into the school system to impact student wellness, education and productivity. In just three years, the company has grown to serve 100 schools from the Bay Area to San Diego, and Santa Cruz may be next.

While the company's mission is a noble one--to offer healthier more sustainable alternatives to the typical heat-and-serve school food model, there are several questions prompted by this potential switch: 

•  What are the tradeoffs involved with contracting out school food services in terms of nutritional content as well as the financial, social and environmental impact?

• Revolution Foods' lunches cost $3-$4 while current full price lunch cost about $2.50. The price increase is 20 to 40 percent. How do districts plan to pay the additional food costs (especially a district like Santa Cruz City Schools whose Food Services Department is running a deficit) and what is the impact on families who don't qualify for government subsidies?

• Revolution Foods is already a venture capitalist enterprise. Former State Controller Steve Westly's firm--The Westly Group--led the most recent venture capital roundup which was $7 million in March 2008. Do any conflicts of interest arise in satisfying school districts as well as investors?

• Given the requirements to ensure fair competition through competitive bidding, are any other companies bidding on these lucerative contracts or does Revolution Foods have little to no competition?

• Who will regulate nutrition content, federal and state requirements and what's being served now that the school district has no local control?

Stay tuned for the answers to these questions and to find out whether or not Santa Cruz City Schools is joining the Revolution...