The potential of a districtwide beverage contract has Missoula County Public Schools trustees torn between the allure of more than $100,000 a year in extra cash for school activities and the concern over encouraging possibly unhealthy levels of soft-drink consumption. The district's Finance and Operations Committee straw vote Tuesday night had five trustees supporting a contract, two opposed and two undecided. The full board will return to the issue at its meeting next Tuesday.
Right now, each high school has its own arrangement with either Coca-Cola or Pepsi distributors to provide vending machines and earn commissions on drinks sold to students. District Central Services Supervisor Karl Jones said the two distributors had offered a combined seven separate contracts for an exclusive districtwide deal. He recommended a three-year offer by Pepsi that would pay upfront fees and commissions worth about $154,000 a year.
"It's bad enough we're pushing sugar on these kids," said Trustee Toni Rehbein, one of the undecided committee members. "Do we have to do it in this size?"
"The high school budget needs that money," Trustee Jim Sadler said. "Personally, I don't think we're hurting children with these choices. If they want to drink a cola, they can go anywhere in town and drink it."
Jones said the district would bring in about $100,000 more than it makes now from individual school arrangements. However, the distributors would probably stop providing some of the benefits they've offered in the past, such as free machine maintenance, scoreboards and other donations. The value of those items would have to be paid for out of the overall profits.
Trustee Tom Orr said he'd seen reports from other school districts that saw better student behavior and higher test scores after banning soft drinks sales in the buildings.
"I just don't think we should be in the business of pushing this stuff," Orr said.
The matter may come before the full Board of Trustees at its March 8 regular meeting at 7 p.m. in the district's Business Building, 915 South Ave. W.
Reporter Rob Chaney can be reached at 523-5382 or at rchaney@missoulian.com
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