Though it would mean the loss of thousands of dollars and likely be unpopular with students and teachers, a slim majority of the Lawrence school board wants to halt soft drink sales in schools.

Straw polling indicates four of seven board members — Leni Salkind, Leonard Ortiz, Rich Minder and Austin Turney — lean in favor of dropping contracts with Pepsi and Coca-Cola for stocking vending machines and concession booths in the junior highs and high schools.

But board members Linda Robinson, Cindy Yulich and Sue Morgan said they couldn’t justify a policy that would make Coke and Pepsi contraband in schools.

“I think it’s a can of carbonated worms,” Robinson said.

All agreed, however, that a ban on soft drink sales would be hard for students and staff to swallow. In the last school year, 145,900 bottles or cans were sold at the seven secondary schools. That netted the district more than $50,000 in commissions. And offering exclusive sales rights to one soda company could bring the district even more dollars.

Selling out?

But Salkind and other members favoring the ban said the district shouldn’t be part of marketing campaigns for beverages that have questionable nutritional value simply because sales generate money for the cash-strapped district.

“You’re really pushing,” Salkind said. “The more you sell, the more money you make. I don’t want to feel like we’re selling the kids out.”

The board is embroiled in the debate because the district’s one-year contracts with Coke and Pepsi have expired. They’re being continued on a month-to-month basis.

Free State High School senior Cody Young, left, buys a soda from Alex Newman at Free State's snack bar, the Bird's Nest. Young bought the soda during Thursday's lunch period. The Lawrence school board is considering dropping its soda contracts and removing the drinks from schools.

It originally was thought the district either would negotiate individual soda contracts for each of the seven secondary schools or enter into an exclusive deal with a soft-drink corporation. Exclusive arrangements have the potential for a huge spike in revenue for the district, Supt. Randy Weseman said.

Consider these deals:

l The Lee’s Summit, Mo., district has a new 10-year, $2.8 million exclusive contract with 7-Up.

l Shawnee Mission’s district is in the third year of a 10-year agreement with Coca-Cola that brings in $3.2 million.

l The Kansas City, Kan., district is four years into a $6 million, 10-year contract with 7-Up.

Yulich said the district should keep soft drinks available in schools and work to negotiate an exclusive contract with one of the major suppliers. The goal must be to maximize the return, she said.

¢ School board to fight cola wars (9-21-03)¢ Editorial: Brought to you by … (7-02-03)¢ Take a stand: Schools fuel soda-pop trend (6-12-03)¢ Board set to approve LHS contract with Coca-Cola (1-12-03)¢Board revamps soda contract plans (12-03-02)¢ District wants to keep tabs on soda contracts (12-02-02)

“It’s all about the money,” Yulich said.

All about health

But ban supporters said health concerns shouldn’t be ignored.

In the past 20 years, the percentage of U.S. children who are overweight has more than doubled. That has coincided with an increase in diabetes among children and adolescents.

Lawrence already bans soft drink sales in elementary schools.

Turney said the district couldn’t justify a curriculum that outlines for students why soft drinks can be unhealthy while vending machines stocked with those drinks sit outside the classroom.

“I find it rather astonishing that we and many other school districts would allow these products loaded with sugar to be everywhere and then rub our hands about an epidemic of obesity,” he said.

Salkind said vending machines and snack counters in the district’s secondary schools could instead be stocked with milk, water and 100 percent fruit juices.

Students, faculty

But is it realistic to think students will turn to such beverages if pop were banned?

“Probably not,” said Cody Young, a senior who was buying a soda Thursday at Free State High School’s snack bar, the Bird’s Nest. “You can go off and defend the country but you can’t have a drink?”

Helen Seeley, sponsor of the Lions’ Den at Lawrence High School, said faculty weren’t happy about talk of banning soft drinks, either.

A survey will be conducted to measure opinion of teachers and students at LHS, she said.

Seeley said she objected because a ban would jeopardize funding of student marketing organizations, sports teams and student council.

“I know this will have a dramatic effect,” Seeley said.

She said debate about soft drinks in the schools was far from over.

“Not until the fat lady sings,” Seeley said.

It is expected to take months for the district to determine and put in place new policy on distribution of soft drinks.