As we prepare for another exciting school year, we want to share information about a new Arizona state law that affects foods and beverages provided to students during the school day.
Beginning this school year, Arizona Revised Statute (A.R.S.) §15-242.01, the Arizona Healthy Schools Act, establishes new statewide requirements regarding certain ingredients that may not be included in foods and beverages sold or provided to students during the school day.
We want to emphasize that this is a state law enacted by the Arizona Legislature. These requirements are not unique to Sierra Vista Unified School District and are not a district-created policy. Like all Arizona public schools, SVUSD is required to comply with this law.
For most families, very little will change. Students may still bring their own lunches and snacks from home, and classroom celebrations will continue—this new law simply establishes statewide requirements for foods that are shared with other students during the school day.
Our School Meals Already Meet the New Requirements
The good news is that our school meal program is already in compliance with the Arizona Healthy Schools Act. Our food service partner, SFE, has worked to ensure that all breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and beverages served through the district meet the requirements of the new law.
Families can continue to enjoy our nutritious school meal program knowing it already complies with these state standards.
What Does This Mean for Families?
The law does not restrict:
Lunches or snacks that a student brings from home for their own personal consumption.
The law does prohibit:
Sharing food or beverages brought from home with other students if those items contain any of the prohibited ingredients.
Food items brought to school for birthdays, holidays, classroom parties, or other celebrations that contain any of the prohibited ingredients.
Prohibited Ingredients
Food items shared with students at school may not contain:
Potassium Bromate
Propylparaben
Titanium Dioxide
Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO)
Yellow Dye 5
Yellow Dye 6
Blue Dye 1
Blue Dye 2
Green Dye 3
Red Dye 3
Red Dye 40
We encourage families to carefully review ingredient labels before purchasing food items intended to be shared at school.
Classroom Celebrations Will Continue
We know celebrations are an important part of building positive classroom communities, and we want to assure families that birthdays, holidays, and other classroom celebrations will continue in our schools.
The only change is that any food items brought to share with classmates must comply with the requirements of Arizona law.
New Celebration Packs Available at K-8 Neighborhood Schools
To make classroom celebrations simple and worry-free, the SVUSD Food Service Department, in partnership with SFE, will be offering Celebration Packs for classroom parties.
Each Celebration Pack includes:
A compliant drink
Cookies that meet the new Arizona Healthy Schools Act requirements
Cost: $2 per student
More details and an order form will be available in your school's front office in the coming weeks.
We appreciate your partnership as we implement this new state requirement. By working together, we can continue to celebrate special occasions while ensuring our schools remain in compliance with Arizona law.
Thank you for helping us create healthy, safe, and welcoming schools for every student. If you have questions about the Arizona Healthy Schools Act or classroom celebrations, please contact your school's front office.
Arizona Healthy Schools Act (A.R.S. §15-242.01)
Arizona Department of Education Memorandum
