The school lunch debate continues...

Well folks, it's almost the start of another school year, and those of us with kids will soon hear the horror stories of sweet potato french fries and other "healthy" foods forced upon our kids that we pay for twice, well, at least those of us at least not on public assistance or qualifying for reduced price lunches. In the meantime, more and more schools are dropping the federally funded (which comes with mandates of course) school lunch program because kids will simply not eat the cafeteria food.
Now please understand, this is not to be mistaken as a hit piece on our school districts food service employees. They are simply doing exactly what the government is ordering them to do. So do we see the problem here? Many don't know much about the school lunch program, such as it is administered by the Department of Agriculture. Most people also don't know that schools can drop out of the program. Most people don't know that it is NOT a requirement that schools feed our kids a lunch. Now, I happen to think school lunch for our kids is a good idea, simply and sadly because this meal may be the only good meal a child gets to eat, however when one begins to actually dissect the machinations behind the school lunch program, it is cause for bewilderment. Such as, every student has options to what they may select to eat, however the caloric intake is fixed for all students. Hence, boys and girls, believe it or not, are under the same caloric standard. We all know it is simple physiology that boys need more calories than girls while growing. Hence a program we see that is modeled to fight obesity (how about putting down the XBox controller and getting outside and playing?) instead is failing. Yes, I have read the recent report that childhood obesity is starting to drop, however I find this more cultural pressure and food manufacturers becoming more cognizant of what they manufacture rather than what is served in the school cafeteria. So we hear of students bringing in snacks such as candy bars and other items that can be downed quickly and quietly in order to satisfy their hunger. Now does this sound like a successful program to anyone?
What makes matters worse is some school districts are operating at a loss, hence they are now handcuffed into dropping the federal program and seek financing elsewhere (somehow I can see this becoming a school levy item, the levy in of itself a disgrace, but that's another topic). The reason they are operating at a loss? More and more kids are "brown bagging" it or going hungry, rather than eating what is forced upon them in school. Simply, this is a disgrace. Now I'm not advocating a full blown hamburger and french fry buffet, but simply looking at what is in the trash (a junior high student last year who attended a school board meeting said on sweet potato french fry day, the bottom of the trash can was "a sea of orange.") and talking with the students and dropping those items that are universally disliked. And besides, what in the world is wrong with regular fries anyhow? Food contracts also should not be written for an entire school year either, which harnesses districts to a particular food for that year. Oh, and my comment above about some parents paying twice? Department of Agriculture is funded by your federal tax dollars. You also pay the school district for your childs lunch eaten at the school cafeteria. Nice deal, eh?