None of that seemed to matter to Stephanie Vasquez, a senior at Franklin High School who expressed relief that the ban would go into effect after she graduated.
"I think that's very stupid," she said in an interview from home. "You go to school all lazy and tired and you need something to wake you up. You do need some sugar. It's like taking the teachers' coffee away. If you want us to get good grades, we need to be psyched up for class .... We want a soda here or there, or a bag of chips."
In 2001, Gov. Gray Davis signed legislation that would give California elementary schools 10 cents per meal if they limited the sale of junk food and soda. But so far, the law's $60 million price tag has not been funded.
Earlier this month, Davis signed another bill that prohibits all public elementary, middle and junior high schools in the state from selling sodas on campus, starting next July.
Texas has banned junk food in its elementary and middle schools; New York City has banned junk food from all school vending machines. Other states and districts are considering similar limitations.
Gail Woodward-Lopez, associate director of the Center for Weight and Health at UC Berkeley, said that, in part because of its diverse population, Los Angeles has been a "wonderful role model" in seeking better diets for its students. Asked about the junk-food ban, Woodward-Lopez said, "If Los Angeles can do it, any school district can do it.
"It's not that the schools are better or worse than any other institution, but kids spend a large portion of their day at school," she said. "The school should be a model for providing healthy foods, making those foods tasty and affordable. I think it's a no-brainer."
Tuesday's motion was approved by six of the seven board members. Mike Lansing had left the meeting during the time of the vote without a public explanation; later, according to an aide, he declined to comment.
The plan also requires that each school meal include at least one vegetarian option. It directs Los Angeles schools Supt. Roy Romer to provide salad bars in all district high schools within two years and all elementary schools within six years.
In addition, the resolution says the district should work toward eliminating, within three years, all contracts with brand-name fast-food companies.
