Hanna Grades School Lunches

11/13/2012 (Updated 6:58:07 PM)

Representative Richard Hanna is concerned that local students are not eating right in school.

"They go home and because they're hungry, they binge and they're not prepared to eat dinner. When they get off the bus they run to the refrigerator," said Hanna.

Hanna asked the students to raise their hand if they go home hungry, and most kids raised their hands.

"They do give us good lunch sometimes but some people think the portions are too small," said student Sekena Gay.

Hanna, who serves on the house education and workforce committee, joined Johnson City Middle Cchoolers for lunch today. 

"We're here to see if it works or not, But generally the feedback I get is it's not working at all," said Hanna.

The current federal school lunch requirements limit students to 850 calories and certain types of foods.

"We've been working towards this goal over the last 7 years. We've done a great job, it's a little more restrictive than we want," said Mark Bordeau, Senior Director Food Services for Broome-Tioga BOCES.

Hanna says the program is designed to prevent obesity, but some kids, such as athletes, need a different plan.

"More flexibility in the program, more calories for kids who need more, less prescriptive in terms of types of food they can eat," said Hanna.

Hanna has written a letter to the U.S Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to ask to change the program.


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