District Drops Federal Lunch Program

Lunch at Fort Thomas Independent Schools may include more French fries, fewer vegetables and larger portions this year. One thing that won’t be on the menu: federal dollars.

The Campbell County district is opting out of the federal school lunch program, forfeiting hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding.

The reason: Kids didn’t like their healthful lunches.

“The calorie limitations and types of foods that have to be provided … have resulted in the kids just saying ‘I’m not going to eat that,'” Fort Thomas Superintendent Gene Kirchner said.

The 2,800-student district joins a small but growing number of school districts across the country – mostly wealthy districts who can afford to forfeit the money – who have dropped out of the federal program in the wake of stricter nutritional standards.

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