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School machines caught with unhealthy food 0

By Michael Mui, 24 Hours Vancouver

(FILE PHOTO)

(FILE PHOTO)

Vancouver high schools can make as much as $11,000 a year through vending machine sales, according to a school board report.

Trustee Mike Lombardi said staff were directed to conduct the report after the board heard concerns from secondary school teachers that not all schools were selling “healthy products” consistent with B.C. Ministry of Education guidelines.

The report notes the majority of schools — 15 of them are shown in the report — are now compliant. Those that aren’t will be corrected at the end of the school year.

Each school makes an average of $5,500 in net revenue, though the numbers don’t include revenues from elementary schools. The money then goes into student financial assistance, scholarships, school fees, equipment and more.

Lombardi said “very few” machines are in Vancouver’s 91 elementary schools, adding the board isn’t currently considering bringing more machines into the junior grades.

Since it’s currently unclear how many machines are in elementary schools — and how much revenue they earn — another trustee, Allan Wong, said staff could be asked to measure those revenues following Monday’s board committee meeting.

 

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