RALEIGH (AP) -- Public school cafeterias around North Carolina are offering healthier diets and lunch room supervisors say legislators need to ante up more money to pay for it.
The Legislature ordered healthier foods in 2005. Now, schools say they need about 15 cents per meal extra for increased costs. That total about $15 million.
More than a million meals a day are served in school cafeterias. About half of the annual $760 million cost comes from the federal government and the state spends about $7.2 million.
Much of the difference has been made up from sales of food and drinks, at one point popular items like French fries, pizzas and soft drinks until healthier foods were mandated.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
