Sodas and other items of “minimal nutritional value” have been pulled from vending machines at Coupeville Middle School and High School.

Any new products have to be approved by a principal before going into the vending machines, said Glenda Merwine, director of student learning for the Coupeville School District.

Besides the vending machine move, students are now prohibited from having any carbonated or caffeinated beverages in classes. They can still have them in the lunch area, Merwine said.

Also, teachers shouldn’t use snacks as a way to encourage performance.

“Staff is encouraged not to use food as a reward in the classroom,” Merwine said.

In addition to eliminating junk food, the district’s new nutritional policy states that students in grades one through eight must participate in, on average, 100 minutes of physical education instruction each week. Students at the high school have to take two years of health or physical education.

While the Coupeville School District has a new nutrition policy, it doesn’t have any procedures for it yet.

A committee is forming to help develop procedures which will likely be brought for school board approval next spring. That committee includes Merwine, two parents, two teachers, a high school student and any board member who wishes to participate, Merwine said.

Like the Oak Harbor School District, the Coupeville School District was required by state legislation to approve a nutrition policy. Unlike Oak Harbor, Coupeville High School doesn’t have a student store that’s affected by the new nutrition policy. Merwine said she didn’t know of any group yet that is using food in a fund raiser.