Despite reports of schools around the country dropping out of the healthier federal lunch program, Iberia, St. Martin and St. Mary parish school systems have no plans to do so.

Several stories by various news outlets have been written about the program’s new healthier standards that are resulting in less student participation and school systems dropping out because they do not receive enough reimbursement to offset fees.

But St. Martin Parish School Board child nutrition supervisor Clair Blanchard said dropping out is not feasible for the school system.

“If we drop out, we would have to charge all students, regardless of their situations, and it would have to be a price that is equivalent to what we’re serving them,” Blanchard said. 

“The economical status of the lower part of the state — none of us are in a position to say we don’t need state or federal money.”

The National School Lunch Program reimburses schools for meals served and gives them access to lower-priced food, according to the Associated Press.

Blanchard said around 70 percent of St. Martin Parish students participate in the free or reduced lunch program. She said she continues to receive meal applications because a student’s parent is unemployed.

Mary Grimm-Howard, child nutrition supervisor for St. Mary Parish, said the system has had a few issues because of the healthier food and guidelines, but the system is not at a point where it is dropping out.

“I don’t think you’ll find anybody in Louisiana at that point yet,” she said.

She said St. Mary Parish usually has about 70 to 72 percent student participation in the program.

“How are these students going to pay for that (if a parish drops out),” she said. 

“I think (other school systems) will really see how much the program is working once they try to step out by themselves to do this.”

About 70 percent of Iberia Parish’s 14,000 students participate in the national program, said Iberia Parish Superintendent of Schools Dale Henderson.

Iberia Parish child nutrition supervisor Leslie Wimberly said she has been “surprisingly pleased” with how the system is serving the students.

“Even with the healthy guidelines and the changes,” she said. 

“I’m hearing some positives. The negatives I hear are more from workers. I hear good things from students.”